Alkass Digital
Al Arabi coach Younis Ali said his side will aim for a historic title as the Amir Cup champions are all set to face Emirati President's Cup winners Sharjah in the Qatar-UAE Super Cup today.
The inaugural one-off blockbuster will be played at the 40,000-seat Al Thumama Stadium, with the kick-off set for 7:00 pm.
Addressing the media at a pre-match press conference held in Doha yesterday, Ali made his intentions clear.
"We will give our best against a strong competitor and we will strive to achieve the title," Ali said.
"We will perform with concentration, without gifting opportunities to them. We will also work to exploit all the opportunities we have to score. I expect a good match from both sides and we are waiting for support from the fans," the former Qatar midfielder said.
The coach also confirmed that Al Arabi could enter history by achieving the championship title, which would be the best compensation for their below-par performance in the Expo Stars League.
Al Arabi coach Younis Ali (right) and midfielder Marco Verratti during a press conference, yesterday.
Commenting on the possible composure of the playing XI, Ali revealed that Icelandic star Aron Gunnarsson may be available depending on his physical fitness since he had been away from participating in official matches for a long time.
However, Ali indicated that the team is in full strength, and the only thing missing was the absence of Jassim Jaber, due to his presence with the Qatar national team, which would compete in the AFC U-23 Cup.
The coach concluded by saying that the team’s season has not ended yet, as Al Arabi still have two titles to achieve, which are the Qatar-UAE Super Cup and the Amir Cup, adding that the Dream Team is aspiring to achieve both to reconcile their loyal fans.
Al Arabi star Marco Verratti also highlighted the importance of the match.
"With all due respect to the ambitions of the Sharjah team, our goal is to win the cup," the former PSG midfielder said.
Verratti praised the players in the Sharjah team and the presence of a distinguished coach, Cosmin Aurelian Olaroiu. "I have previously played against Miralem Pjanic, the Sharjah Club player, in many matches when I was at Paris Saint-Germain," Verratti said.
The Italian also said that he has watched previous matches of the Sharjah team to understand their level before today’s match, and noted Sharjah's ability to switch from defense to attack very quickly.
"Our preparations went well, and we are ready in all technical, physical, and tactical aspects for this important match. I hope to achieve the first title with Al Arabi Club," Verratti said, adding that the team is ready to provide all their efforts to make their fans happy.
Meanwhile, Cosmin, a former coach at Al Sadd, expressed his happiness at being in Doha again.
"When I was coach of Al Sadd, Al Arabi was not as strong as it is now. They have developed a lot, and we have seen them winning the Amir Cup. We must make every effort in this confrontation that will be held in one of the World Cup stadiums," Cosmin said.