In a blockbuster clash, Al Sadd will take on Al Duhail in the Qatar Cup final today at the Al Sadd stadium. The title match, which will kick off at 7pm, is undoubtedly a battle between two of the best teams in Qatar.
Al Sadd reached the final by edging arch-rivals Al Rayyan 6-2 on penalties after the regular time ended in a 2-2 draw. Al Duhail’s path to the title was relatively easier as they prevailed over Al Gharafa by a 6-1 margin in the second semi-final. Duhail will go into the match as the fancied team, having not lost a match since their loss to Sadd in the Sheikh Jassim Cup final last September. Since then, Djamel Belmadi’s side have gone on to win the QNB Stars League title in a dominating fashion. 
But Al Sadd will not only be looking to retain the Cup, which they won beating erstwhile El Jaish last year, but will also seek their second title of the season having won the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup. 
The Wolves, coached by Jesualdo Ferreira, will also have a point to prove as they finished runners-up to Al Duhail in the recently-concluded QNB Stars League. The final will undoubtedly be a treat for the fans as well, for these are the two best teams in Qatar football at the moment. Naturally, sparks are bound to fly. Sadd and Duhail have star players in all departments of the game. They are the ones Ferreira and Belmadi can rely on.
Al Sadd’s star parade consists of Spain and Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez, Qatar internationals Hassan al-Haydous and Akram Afif, and Algerian aces Baghdad Bounedjah and Algerian midfielder Jugurtha Hamroun.
Duhail will be without injured attacking midfielder Youssef Msakni, but they still have enough quality to trouble the Al Sadd defence. The Red Knights have Qatar internationals Almoez Ali and Karim Boudiaf, South Korean playmaker Nam Tae-Hee and Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi, who emerged as the QNB Stars League’s top scorer with 26 goals. El Arabi was the top scorer last season as well.
The last time these two sides met the fans were in for a treat as El Arabi scored the winner for Duhail in the 94th minute which all but ended Sadd’s league challenge. Bounedjah, the second-best scorer last season, came fourth this time with 16 goals despite missing many matches due to an injury.
El Arabi and Bounedjah also played prominent roles in their teams’ good performances in the AFC Champions League that resulted in them both advancing to the Round of 16.
Al-Haydous, Hamroun and Nam all ended up with 12 goals each in this season’s QNB Stars League. Nam had scored a hat-trick in Al Duhail’s 6-1 victory over Al Gharafa in the Qatar Cup semifinal last Sunday. 
Duhail’s defence will be hard to penetrate for Al Sadd. The arrival of Murad Naji and Sultan al-Brake has sorted out their issues at back. In Lucas Mendes, Duhail have a deep defender who can pick his teammates with long balls into the box. The technical duel between Ferreira and Belmadi will once again catch the attention. This is the fourth encounter where Ferreira and Belmadi are going head-to-head this season, with the latter leading 2-1.
Both Ferreira and Belmadi are master tacticians who are result-oriented. They are arguably the best coaches around. Veteran Ferreira is more experienced, having been in the profession since 1981. The 71-year-old took over Al Sadd in November, 2015, and has brought them much success.
Belmadi is much younger than Ferreira, but the former has achieved a lot in Qatar football — at both club and country levels. The Algerian is a shrewd tactician, who has consistently been producing excellent results.
He was at the helm when erstwhile Lekhwiya, who were relaunched as Al Duhail after the merger with El Jaish, won league titles in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2016-17 seasons as well.
On the eve of the final, both the managers expected a difficult final for their teams, which shows the qualities on offer. Al Sadd’s Ferreira said: “We are facing a strong team not only in Qatar, perhaps the strongest in Asia as can be made out from Al Duhail’s results in the AFC Champions league. That is why we are preparing in the best possible way.”
Al Duhail coach Belmadi said Sadd possess world class players but was ready for the final. “It is definitely going to be an exciting match and exciting finish when the big two teams in Qatar clash against each other. We respect all teams, not just Al Sadd,” Belmadi said.  
“Al Sadd have world-class players such as Xavi (Hernandez) and a very good coach in Jesualdo Ferreira. But I have no worries. I have no fear. I can talk about tactics only after the game. I study my opponents and gives instructions to my players. And we are just ready for the matches,” he added.



Related Story