Al Gharafa players in action during a training session ahead of their Amir Cup semi-final against Al Rayyan which will be played at the Al Sadd Stadium today.
Doha: Al Gharafa want to end the Amir Cup final drought when they take on Al Rayyan in the semi-final of the prestigious championship here at Al Sadd Stadium today.
Coach Bulent Uygun’s side finished fourth in the QNB Stars League and the Turkish tactician is looking forward to a fierce and competitive semi-final match.
“We seek to qualify for our first Amir Cup final in seven years. We are fully focused. The players are ready to play well and attain the goal of qualifying for the final,” Uygun said while speaking on the eve of the match.
“We promise to give our best and hope the crowds come in large numbers to support and we will not disappoint them. The support of the fans is an important part,” stressed Uygun.
“The competition will be fierce and competitive, and we are fully focused on reaching the final. All my players are ready to give their best and they are ready for the challenge of Al Gharafa,” he added.
Al Gharafa along with Al Rayyan, Al Sadd and Al Duhail, the first four finishers of the QSL were direclty seeded into the Amir Cup pre-quarters. All the four sides lived up to the top billing by advancing into the quarter-finals after winning their respective last-16 matches.
Al Rayyan coach Michael Laudrup said all the players are focused in reaching the final of Amir Cup by winning over Al Gharafa.
“We are looking to qualify for the final, and I am happy that the semi-final will be played at Al Sadd Stadium because this stadium is air conditioned and makes playing conditions better at this time,” he said during a press conference.
On the loss against Al Gharafa during the QNB Stars League, Laudrup pointed out that this match is completely different from the League meeting because of the circumstances in which the game was played, along with the motivation for the players to reach the final game.
Asked as to whether the lack of silverware for the club is cause of concern, he said: “Not winning the championship is not a matter (of concern) for me alone, the idea of a football team game is not related to only one person, and the official. It is the team as a whole, consisting of the technical and administrative staff and players.”
