Jesualdo Ferreira’s Al Sadd will be hoping to finish the 2015-16 campaign on a high by securing the second spot in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) standings but for that to happen, the Doha giants must beat El Jaish in the final round later this week.
Al Sadd, who have posted three wins against one draw in their last four matches, take on El Jaish - one of the most consistent sides in QSL - with aims of finishing the season behind champions Al Rayyan. Second-placed El Jaish, coached by Sabri Lamouchi, have 47 points from 25 matches whereas Al Sadd - who finished second last season - are in third spot with a tally of 46 points.
A draw won’t help Al Sadd but El Jaish know they must not lose today at Qatar Sports Club Stadium.
Last week, Al Sadd fought back to claim a creditable draw against runaway champions Al Rayyan (62 points) coached by shrewd tactician Jorge Fossati. Trailing by two goals by the 71st minute, Al Sadd hit back in the final moments of the tie through goals from Hassan al-Haydos and Mohammed Kasola to share the spoils in round 25. Last week’s fighting 2-2 draw followed after Al Sadd beat Al Kharaitiyat 1-0, downed Lekhwiya 3-2 and edged past Al Sailiyah 3-2 to pick up key points in the final few weeks of the season.
Coach Ferreira replaced Hussein Amotta at the end of November following an unimpressive start of the season. The Portuguese tactician will be hoping his players can deliver the goods against a very strong El Jaish side.
Since joining the QSL in the 2011-12 season, El Jaish have never finished outside the top four in the last six years, prompting many pundits to predict ‘QSL Falcon Shield’ glory in the coming years. El Jaish grabbed the second spot in 2012 in what was their maiden appearance in QSL, followed by a third-place finish in 2013. The following year in 2014, El Jaish went one better to claim the second spot behind Lekhwiya but slipped to third in 2015.
With just one round to go, Jaish knows a second-place finish beckons even if Lamouchi’s side finishes with a draw at Qatar SC stadium on April the 15th.   
With the top-placed Al Rayyan facing off with the fourth-placed Lekhwiya in the first semi-final in the Qatar Cup, the focus shifts to who will finished second in QSL. So the battle for second place will give the side ‘home’ advantage when Al Sadd and El Jaish face each other in the second Qatar Cup semi-final.   
Al Sadd will be hoping their midfield dynamo Xavi, U-23 star Abdulkareem Hassan, reliable striker Hassan Haydoos and veteran winger Nadir Belhadj come to the party for the final push on April 15. The quartet has been ever present in Jesaldo Ferreira’s plans this season, and will need to be on fine form going into this must-win game.   
El Jaish striker Abderrazak Hamdallah- who scored two goals in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Umm Salal last week, clearly holds the key for Lamouchi’s men in the final round this year. Hamdallah is currently joint top goal scorer in the QSL with 20 goals this season, he will be certainly looking to add to his haul and be awarded with the top goal scorer award at the QFA awards.   
It promises to be a fascinating encounter between two of Qatar’s best footballing sides.

The game will be preparation for the Qatar Cup, says Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira
Jesualdo Ferreira, the head coach of Al Sadd, is aiming for the win today, “The match is for the second position in the league. Our target is for the second position and El Jaish are also aiming for that. But we will seek the win no matter what.”   
Jesualdo Ferreira’s men may face El Jaish in the upcoming Qatar Cup but the coach insists they will be different games altogether, “The game will be preparation for the Qatar cup. Each game is a different situation in the league and that’s same in the cup.”
He also added that, “I think El Jaish will play with their best players because they will want to win both games.”   
“We had some big mistakes in the last match and we will work on our defense in the next game,” added the Portuguese tactician.
Sabri Lamouchi, the head coach of the Soldiers is keen on getting the three points in the last game of the season, “This game is the last game of the league. If we don’t lose we will be in second place. Al Sadd we know is the biggest club in Qatar, big history and big support. We will go into this match hoping to win.”   
“For us the season is not finished. Our target was to qualify for AFC Champions League and get second place.  We have two more cups after this, so for us our season starts now,” said the Frenchman at the press conference on Wednesday.   
Apart from the team’s targets, El Jaish also have a top contender for the golden boot in Abdelrazzak Hamdallah. “The club wants to help Hamdallah get the golden boot. When he plays around the box he is a killer and has 20 goals this season. And if he gets the golden boot it will be good for him and good for the team as he will have more confidence to score,” added Lamouchi.
Now to see what happens on the pitch.