(MENAFN- The Peninsula) fawad hussain |
The Peninsula
An in-form Al Duhail and a resolute Umm Salal have their eyes on the first crown of the season as they square off in the Ooredoo Cup final at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium tonight.
On paper, Al Duhail, who are leading the QNB Stars League (QSL) standings and are the top contenders to win all top four domestic titles this season, will start as favourites but Umm Salal have completely looked a different side in the tournament.
The Talal El Karkouri-coached team, battling to avoid relegation from the QSL, is unbeaten in the Ooredoo Cup so far, topping their group before shocking Al Arabi in the semi-final.
Hernan Crespo's Al Duhail also won their group and the Red Knights are also yet to be defeated in the tournament.
Shrugging off the favourites tag, Crespo told his ranks to stay focused throughout the match, saying the team that will succeed in doing that will win the trophy.
“We are targeting our first title in the current season. In Cup matches, it is not possible to rely on the ranking of teams in the league,” Al Duhail coach told a pre-final press conference.
“Umm Salal's presence in the final shows their ambitions and they deserved to be in the final. It also means that they have the resources to reach thus far and that should make us study the opponents well. The team that will have the highest concentration will win the title,” he added.
Like Umm Salal, Al Duhail also recorded four wins and a draw in the group stage before beating Al Sadd in the semi-final.
“We succeeded in reaching this stage of the tournament after playing six matches against big teams and we were able to win five matches and draw one. The team was not defeated at all and this means to us that the team is doing well,” said Crespo.
“This is a match that cannot be taken for granted and we must be at the top of our focus in order to appear at the level that guarantees us the title,” he added.
Umm Salal's Moroccan coach El Karkouri said his team is brimming with confidence after pulling off a late win over Al Arabi last Thursday.
“We are ready for a strong show against Al Duhail as we are aiming to win the title. The victory over Al Arabi in the semi-final gave the players a great morale boost,” he said.
The Umm Salal coach added his team is aware of Al Duhail's strength, hinting at a change in strategy in the final clash.
“The final against Al Duhail will, of course, be more difficult than the previous match with Al Arabi, and everyone knows that the opponent is a very strong team that defeated Al Sadd in the semi-final. I hope that we do not repeat what happened during the first half in the Al Arabi match and that we appear in a satisfactory manner through which we can achieve a good result. We have nothing to lose and this is the nature of the Cup finals,” El Karkouri.
“We must try to do our best to achieve victory, especially since we got the opportunity to reach the final. I have great confidence in our players in order to make an effort to win the title. We will play in a different way and style, and all we seek is crowning glory,” said El Karkouri.
The Ooredoo Cup is set to witness a new champion as both the teams have never won the tournament. The match will kick off at 10pm.