Qatar- El Jaish aim to dethrone Lekhwiya
Date
4/29/2016 1:11:26 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Lekhwiya players lift the Qatar Cup trophy in this May 2 2015 file picture.
Doha: El Jaish will be looking for a repeat of their 2014 Qatar Cup success when they lifted the crown when they take on Lekhwiya in the showpiece final here today at Al Sadd Stadium.
In a repeat of last year’s final Lekhwiya will defend their title while El Jaish will be looking for revenge.
Both sides have battled through long strenuous domestic seasons to meet with a chance to lift some silverware in the today’s final.
El Jaish have been one of the most consistent sides in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) this season.
Sabri Lamouchi’s side has upheld their envious record of appearing in every Qatar Cup final since the tournament was rebranded three years ago.
El Jaish defeated Al Sadd in a closely fought semifinal by three goals to two to make it to the title clash.
Jaish’s attacking trio of Hamdullah Romarinho and Rashidov linked together on the night and all three players had a hand in the Jaish goals.
Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi speaking during a press conference on the eve of the Qatar Cup final. The final kicks off today at 7.15pm.
The Soldiers will hope they can continue in the same vein and land a trophy this season by winning the Qatar Cup. Coach Lamouchi is happy with his team’s performance this season.
“It a totally different game because simply it’s a final and in a final you have to win. I would like to congratulate my team for having an amazing season and getting to the final.”
Defensively Jaish have been resolute this season and only conceded 29 goals in 23 QSL games this year. Central to that defensive stability has been Captain Abdurahman Abubakar. The Qatari international has been a mainstay in the Jaish side this year and the 25 year old has matured into a no nonsense defender.
“El Jaish is a young club with young players and not the same infrastructure as other clubs. Step by step we are building a strong club. Last year we lost two finals and this year we have the determination to go on and win it” added the Frenchman at the press conference on Thursday.
Speaking about Lekhwiya Lamouchi added: “We know the quality of the opponent they have lots of quality but at the same time they have some weaknesses and my players know that. Some of my players are playing there first final and if we play with the same concentration passion and attitude like we did in the AFC Champions League I’m sure we can have a good game.”
El Jaish coach Sabri Lamouchi speaking during a press conference on the eve of the Qatar Cup final. The final kicks off today at 7.15pm.
He also stresses that football is a team sport and he does not care for individuals as much as he does for the team.
“Most important for me is the team. I don’t care who scores the goal. What I like to see is our team playing as a unit against the big teams like Rayyan and Sadd. I don’t care who scores the goals as long as we score one more than the other team” said the forty-four-year-old tactician.
Lekhwiya have endured a tough domestic campaign relinquishing their QSL title to runaway champions Al Rayyan. However Djamel Belmadi has excelled in the cup competitions and Lekhwiya can now harbour genuine hopes of a domestic double starting with the Qatar Cup final.
In January Lekhwiya won the Sheikh Jassim Cup with a 4-1 win over Al Sadd.
The Red Knights put on a tactical masterclass in their 3-1 victory against Al Rayyan a side who they lost to on both occasions during the QSL season. Belmadi set out a defensive side with one recognized striker. However Lekhwiya where masterful on the break putting the current QSL champions to the sword with three goals of superior quality before Al Rayyan grabbed a consolation
The Red Knights won the Qatar Cup last time around and will be hoping to end their season with a trophy.
Belmadi coach of Lekhwiya wants his team to keep carrying on the winning mentality “It’s a final and each final should be played to win and in the semifinal we played very well. I want the players to play with the same attitude.”
Speaking about the vast range of attacking options he has at his disposal Belmadi added: “It’s a nice problem I wish I had this more in the season. Youssef Msakni Karim Boudiaf and Mohammed Muntari who is on fire. More importantly in AFC Champions League we don’t concede many goals and against Rayyan we conceded only one. We want to play and we want to win everything that we can.”
“Muntari is an important player for us. It is important to find a local player who can play in the national team. It’s important for us as a club that we have more than ten players in the national team and our vision is global” added the Algerian.
No player will be more important in attack for Belmadi than the aforementioned Nam Tae Hee. The South Korean international has grabbed ten league goals this season his second highest tally since joining Lekhwiya in 2011. Whilst he also registered 10 assists for him team-mates. Nam has started twenty five of twenty six games in the QSL making him one of the first names of Belmadi’s team-sheet.Nam popped with a fine individual goal in the semifinal and Lekwiya will be expecting more of the same from their number ten if they are to lift the Qatar Cup this year.Defensively Jaish have been resolute this season and only conceded 29 goals in 23 QSL games this year. Central to that defensive stability has been Captain Abdurahman Abubakar.
The Peninsula
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.