DOHA: The ‘big four’ of the Qatar Stars League (QSL), Al Rayyan, El Jaish, Lekhwiya and Al Sadd will lock horns in the semi-finals of the Emir Cup today hoping to bag top honours in the season-ending championship.
In today’s first semi-final, Al Rayyan, the reigning QSL champions will take on defending Emir Cup champions Al Sadd at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The kick-off is set for 5.30pm.
Coached by Jorge Fossati, Al Rayyan will be looking to conquer the defending champions who were admittedly fortunate to edge a formidable Al Gharafa side in the quarterfinals.
Fossati said yesterday that he is expecting his in-form players to guide the team in today’s semi-final clash against Al Sadd.
“I have a simple philosophy. We respect all teams we play. We respect Al Sadd and their quality. But I expect my top players to guide the team home,” Fossati said.
“Al Sadd are a strong side. They have an experienced coach and have won many trophies.”
“Having said that, we have done really well this season,” Fossati said of his Qatar Stars League (QSL) title winning players.
“My confidence is sky high because we have played well. We have done well. We are fully capable of winning this game,” he said. “We have a great opportunity to win this game and reach the final,” he said.
When asked about the influence of captain and striker Rodrigo Tabata, Fossati said: “We don’t rely on Tabata alone. We have good players all over the pitch. We have an experienced side. We won the league using everyone’s contribution.”
Tabata will have strikers Sergio Garcia and Sebastian Soria up front against Al Sadd.
Al Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira said his team ‘feels’ ready.
“For us, this will be like a final. It is do-or-die. We’re taking on the QSL champions. This is a different event to QSL but equally important since every sides thinks of winning the Emir Cup title,” Ferreira said. “We won’t look at our past games for this clash. It’s a new battle. It will be a different clash. Two strong sides are going to play in this game,” Ferreira said.
“I think everyone knows that this season hasn’t given us any silverware. But this does not mean we have not played well. Everyone at the club, however, feels this a new chance for us to win a trophy,” Ferreira said.
“The title Emir Cup is the motivation to do well and it shows the value of winning this event. I think that will make us play to our best potential,” the coach said.
In the second semi-final which will be played at the same venue, Lekhwiya will take on El Jaish for a place in the final with the kick-off set for 8.00pm.
Lekhwiya, coached by Djamel Belmadi, will be looking for an outright win having struggled in their quarter-finals against Al Sailiyah three days ago.
Belmadi yesterday said his team was highly motivated to win against El Jaish.
The reason for the confidence is simple: Lekhwiya - one of the most consistent sides in QSL - has never won the Emir Cup.
“It will be a strong clash for sure,” Belmadi said yesterday. “We have already played three times this season. But we will be playing to win the game and reach the final because we have never won the Emir Cup title,” he added.
“We will fight all the way and create as many chances we can to score goals. We must play strong up front. I think the game will be very tough. We look forward to creating pressure on our opponents,” he said.
“The team is high spirits. Our last game was very difficult but we managed to win in the last few minutes,” Belamdi said.
Coached by Sabri Lamouchi, El Jaish are one of the most consistent sides in Qatar. They beat Al Ahli 4-2 after conceding the first goal in the quarter-finals three days ago.
Lamouchi said his team was primed for a ‘win’.
“We face a strong side but we are ready. The players will do their best,” Lamouchi said yesterday.
“By winning the game, we can get one step closer to winning the title.
We are going to fight, like we do every game we play in an El Jaish jersey,” Lamouchi said.
The final of the prestigious Emir Cup will be played on May 20 at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
The Peninsula
