(MENAFN- The Peninsula) fawad hussain |
The Peninsula
Al Sadd's timely resurgence after a shaky start to the season has put them back into contention for hat-tricks of QNB Stars League (QSL) and Qatar Cup titles.
The Wolves after returning to full strength following the FIFA World Cup break have bagged four consecutive victories to jump to third from ninth place in the QSL standings, reviving hopes of lifting the Falcon Shield again.
Though leaders Al Duhail are 10 points clear, Al Sadd with the likes of Akram Afif, Hassan Al Haydos and Pedro Miguel back in the fold have shown their brilliance on the field in a warning to other title contenders including second-placed Al Arabi.
After blanking Umm Salal 2-0 in their QSL clash on Saturday, the Juan Manuel Lillo's side has shifted its focus to the Qatar Cup, which they won in 2020 and 2021.
The short but eagerly-awaited tournament – taking place after a year's break – will also see other top finishers of the previous QSL season Al Duhail, Al Wakrah and Al Arabi in action.
Al Sadd are pitted against Al Arabi in Thursday's first semi-final on their home turf at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium that will also host the second semi-final between Al Duhail and Al Wakrah the same day.
While Al Sadd defeated Al Arabi 2-0 when the two teams last met at QSL, Younes Ali's side will pose a tough challenge for the defending champions as the Dream Team has shown enough capability to tame any opposition with their fine run in the ongoing season. They have claimed eight wins and a draw from 12 matches in the QSL so far.
Al Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah said the team was preparing well for the semi-final against Al Arabi, which he termed strong opposition.
“We are training with full force as we know the importance of the match,” Bounedjah told the QSL website in an interview.
“Al Arabi are a strong team and we will do our best to beat them and reach the final. We promise the Al Sadd fans that we'll make every effort to win and qualify for the final, not forgetting the fact that Qatar Cup will witness great competition among the competing teams,” he said.
The striker said the return of key players have played a crucial role in team's resurgence after an inconsistent start to the season.
“Certainly, Al Sadd are able to qualify for the final and win the title for the third time in a row. After the return of Al Annabi stars, we've become stronger and all players have only one goal – to maintain the winning run,” said Bounedjah.
After semis on Thursday, the Qatar Cup final is scheduled to take place on April 6.