Continental giants Al Hilal, Zamalek eye glory in Qatar

Two of the biggest teams of Asia and Africa will lock horns at the Lusail Stadium today as the 80,000-capacity venue will stage the Lusail Super Cup between Al Hilal and Zamalek on Friday.
The match, which kicks off at 9pm, will give the organisers one last chance to test the preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022, which is just over two months away.
The Lusail Stadium – Qatar’s biggest sporting venue – will host matches during every stage of World Cup, starting with the Group C clash between Argentina and Saudi Arabia on November 22 and also the final on December 18.
The stadium hosted the QNB Stars League match between Al Arabi and Al Rayyan last month, which was attended by around 25,000 spectators.
But today’s match between Saudi Pro League champions Hilal and Egyptian Premier League winners Zamalek will be attended by a near-capacity crowd and that should give the organisers a real opportunity to test the stadium’s readiness for Qatar 2022.
“Lusail Super Cup will be an amazing experience for fans and it will be the last opportunity to test the readiness of this magnificent venue before the World Cup,” said Eng. Yasir al-Jamal, Director General, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy during a press conference at the venue yesterday.
“We would like to advise fans to reach the stadium early. It’s an 80,000-capacity venue and good numbers will be attending the Lusail Super Cup,” he said.
This version of the Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup has been held three times previously in 2001, 2003 and 2018 with Zamalek emerging as the winners twice.
Al Hilal – the Asian Champions League winners – will be hoping to get one over Zamalek after their recent loss to another African giants Al Ahly at the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi – which cost coach Leonardo Jardim his job.
The Riyadh giants are now coached by Argentine Ramon Diaz, who led Hilal to the Saudi Professional League to their 18th title in June. When the Argentine took over in February, Hilal were 16 points behind Al Ittihad. But the Blues won 12 out of the last 13 games, including twice over Ittihad, as they retained the title for the third consecutive time.
While Hilal have some scores to settle against Zamalek, Diaz was excited for his team to play at a World Cup venue.
“I am very happy with the preparations taking place here. And Qatar is a country with great experience in organising sporting events and I am sure it will organise a wonderful World Cup,” he said yesterday.
Diaz knows a little about Egyptian football after spending three months in charge of Pyramids FC in 2019, when he came up against current Zamalek coach Jesualdo Ferreira and won.
“I am looking forward to playing against such a big team in a big game and we want to take the trophy home,” he added.
For Al Hilal, South Korean defender Jang Hyun-soo will miss out due to injury but fullback Yasser al-Shahrani is expected to start. Meanwhile, Zamalek are fresh from winning the Egyptian Premier League for the 14th time last month.
The five-time African champions arrive in Doha boosted by new signings Moroccan midfielder Zakaria El-Wardi and Senegalese winger Ibrahima Ndiaye.
The White Knights though have lost key midfielder Tarek Hamed and Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki this summer.
“I am happy to be back in Qatar again after years of working here and it is a great honour for me and my team to be in such a big event as the opening of Lusail World Cup Stadium,” Ferreira, who coached Qatar giants Al Sadd from 2015 to 19 said yesterday.
“I have been at the opening of Khalifa International Stadium and Al Janoub. And now it will be my privilege to witness the opening of the largest World Cup stadium in Qatar,” added the Portuguese.