Tribune News Network
Doha
Al Arabi aim to challenge their fancied rivals Al Sadd hard in a sold out final contest of the prestigious 51st Amir Cup at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium on Friday. The match kicks off at 7pm.
Al Sadd, who missed out on the QNB Stars League title to arch rivals Al Duhail, will also be hoping to end the season on a high. Arabi ran Duhail close for the title but had to be content with second place. Sadd and Arabi faced off in the last league match on Monday, with the latter winning the encounter 2-1. Al Sadd had rested eight regulars for the clash with an eye on the Amir Cup final.
The Amir Cup title clash will be a rematch of the 2020 edition final when Al Sadd emerged as champions with a 2-1 win at the World Cup Qatar 2022 venue’s debut match.
Speaking on the pre-match eve, Younis Ali, Al Arabi coach said, “The team is determined to give their best and win the coveted trophy. It is a great honour for any team to take trophy from His Highness The Amir.
“It will be a difficult match but our morale is high and we are ready. We are looking forward to give a winning performance and end the season with the triumph.
“We are going through a good phase and I am hopeful the team will give its best.”
Ali pointed out that Al Arabi, who make their 13th Amir Cup final appearance, are well aware that the task will be difficult in front of a team that has vast experience in such finals and is the most crowned with the championship title, pointing out that his presence as a citizen coach is a representation of all national coaches in Qatar.
“My last final in the Amir Cup was against Al Sadd as a player, and I hope to achieve the title on Friday as a coach with Al Arabi,” the coach added.
Meanwhile, Al Arabi’s leading striker Omar Al Somah, said, “We will have to work very hard to beat Al Sadd. It will require a great effort from all of us to win the Amir Cup.There will be no room for complacency at any stage of the final. Everyone of us is aware of the big responsibility and we are fully prepared. We want to win the title and make our fans happy.”
Al Sadd coach Juan Manuel Lillo said his team would strive to get the Amir Cup. “We had a long preparation for the final. It’s an important match for us and we have great responsibility as our goal is to win the Amir Cup title,” he said.
“My first game of the season was against Al Arabi and we are going to play the last match against them as well. Both the teams know each other well.We should take control of the match by taking ball possession. It becomes easy to attack and stop the opponents to reach your goal when you have more possession,” the coach added.
Al Sadd captain Hassan Al Haydos hoped that the final would live up to the big occasion. “I am hopeful that the game will live up to the occasion, with the esteemed presence of His Highness the Amir,” he said.“We have a good opportunity to secure the prestigious title but we face a formidable challenge in the final. Our players are well-equipped to handle the pressure of such a crucial match, and we will approach the game with a positive mindset.”
“Al Sadd fans have high expectations, and it is our unwavering aim to win the championship. Our focus remains steadfast on the match, and we eagerly anticipate fans presence and unwavering support for the team,” he added.
Al Sadd have won the prestigious title a whopping 18 times against 8 different clubs (Al Ahli 4 times, Al Rayyan 5 times, Al Arabi 3 times, Al Wakra twice, Al Sailiya, Al Khor, Qatar SC and Al-Jaish once each) at 7 different stadiums, the last of which was at the Al Thumama Stadium in 2021 at the expense of Al Rayyan.
It is noteworthy that the biggest result margin recorded in the history of the Amir Cup was in 1982 when Al Sadd defeated Al Shamal 16-2.
Al Arabi are the first team to win the honour of carrying the cup three times in a row in 1978, 1979 and 1980. The previous 50 editions saw only eight teams win. Al Duhail won the title of the last edition defeating Al Gharafa.
Al Sadd have won 18 titles, starting from the third edition in 1975 to the 49th edition in 2021, followed by Al Arabi, who won the cup on eight occasions, the first in 1978 and the last in 1993, then Al Gharafa with seven titles, Al Rayyan with six titles, Al Ahli and Al-Duhail won the title four times, and Qatar SC on two occasions. Umm Salal have won the title once.
The winning team of the Amir Cup on Friday will receive QR20mn in prize money, while the runner-up will take home QR10mn.
