Alkass Digital
Two-time winners Al Gharafa will be looking to bag a hat-trick of titles today when they face football giants Al Duhail in the final of the QSL Cup.
The title clash will be played at the Abdullah bin Khalifa (Al Duhail) Stadium today. The match is set to kick off at 7.00pm.
Al Gharafa were lucky enough to make back-to-back finals in the 12-team tournament following a decision taken by the Qatar Football Association’s (QFA) Disciplinary Committee.
Al Gharafa lost to Al Kharaitiyat 1-4 in the semi-final, but the QFA Disciplinary Committee decided that Al Kharaitiyat violated the rule on the maximum number of resident players during the match which was played last Saturday. According to the rule, up to five resident players can play for a team during a match but Al Kharaitiyat had fielded six. The committee handed a 3-0 for Al Gharafa as a result of the same.
Al Gharafa qualified for the semis by defeating Al Ahli 1-0 in the last-eight clash. They finished second in Group A with nine points. Al Gharafa won two out of their five matches and forced three draws to remain unbeaten. The face-off between Al Gharafa and Al Duhail in the group stage ended in a 1-1 draw.
On the other hand, Al Duhail, who are chasing their maiden QSL Cup title, made it to the final with a dominant 4-0 win over Qatar SC after defeated Al Khor 5-1 in the quarter-final. However, Al
Duhail, who are missing several key players who are currently on national duty, did not have a convincing group stage performance, and were placed third behind Qatar SC and Al Gharafa.
They won two matches, lost one and drew two, to secure eight points in Group A.
“This is a special competition played in FIFA dates. This is a good opportunity for young players. We’ve many players presently doing duty for Qatar at the Asian Cup in the UAE and also have some injury worries. (Wesley) Sneijder is almost ruled out for the match, but midfielder Diogo Amado can play tomorrow,” Al Gharafa coach Christian Gourcuff said during a press conference yesterday.
Al Gharafa will miss the services of influential forward Ahmed Alaaeldin, midfielder Abdulaziz Hatem and their goalkeeper Yousef Hassan who are currently with the Qatar team in Abu Dhabi, gearing up for the Asian Cup final against Japan.
Five key Al Duhail players Bassaam Al Rawi, Assim Madibo, Karim Boudiaf, Ali Afif and feared goal-machine Almoez Ali are also with the Qatari national team, but even without them Al Gharafa coach is aware of what the Red Knights are capable of sans their best players.
“We will try to field the best available team. We’ve to overcome difficulties. Al Duhail aren’t the same side as they’re in the QNB Stars League. Yet, they’re a good mix of youth and experience. They proved it especially against Qatar SC in the semi-final,” the French tactician said.
“We’ll try to put up an improved show than we did against Al Kharaitiyat in the semi-final. Our goal is to win the QSL Cup again,” he said.
Al Duhail’s Under-23 coach Madjid Bougherra yesterday said that winning the QSL Cup remained an important target for him and the team players.
Bougherra, who played for the Algerian national team under Gourcuff, the Al Gharafa coach, is keen to make his presence felt.
“This is my first final as in charge of Al Duhail’s Under-23 team. And then, most of these young players were playing in this tournament right from the beginning. They deserve the title. We’re ready for the final. We’ve made special preparations. Let’s see how things turn out on the field,” Bougherra said yesterday.
“There isn’t much difference between Al Gharafa and Al Kharaitiyat. We had played against both of them in the group stage,” the former Rangers player said.
“You can’t predict the result in a final. It’s always a special occasion. You have to be prepared for it,” Bougherra, 36, added yesterday.