When you are a footballing powerhouse, winning trophies is not a mere requirement but a necessity. Al Sadd and Lekhwiya are two of the biggest names in Qatar football but this season they haven’t been able to perform to their expectations or their potential. But they still have one last shot at glory this season when they face each other today in the final of the prestigious Emir Cup.



El Jaish’s Hamedallah Abderrazzaq (second from right) vies for the ball with Lekhwiya players during their AFC Champions League match in Doha on Tuesday. Lekhwiya had lost the match 0-4 and have had only two days to recover going into today’s Emir Cup final. PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil

The match that will be played at the Al Sadd stadium promises to be a keenly contested encounter. Both teams fell well short in their Qatar Stars League campaign with Sadd finishing third and Lekhwiya fourth. In the Qatar Cup, Sadd were defeated by El Jaish, who also defeated Lekhwiya in the final to claim the trophy. Lekhwiya were able to avenge that defeat when they beat Jaish in the Emir Cup semi-final. Sadd too come into the final having defeating QSL champions Al Rayyan.
When it comes to numbers, both teams have their own records to make/break. Sadd has won the competition a record 15 times, including the previous two editions. The Wolves will be looking to win the 2016 edition and complete a hat-trick of titles. Lekhwiya on the other hand, for all their domination of the QSL, have never won the Emir Cup. Not just that, this will be their first appearance in the Emir Cup final. The Red Knights will be hoping to secure the trophy in their maiden appearance in the final.
What would be a slight bother for Lekhwiya is that they come into the final having being thrashed by Jaish 4-0 in their Asian Champions League Round of 16 encounter. That could have a demoralising effect on the players. But Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi is backing his players to put that loss behind them. “This is another competition. You cannot compare the two. The previous result has definitely hurt us. But I trust my players to show a different attitude during this final. We want to win this for sure,” said Belmadi during the pre-match press conference yesterday.
Another factor that could affect the outcome is Lekhwiya getting just two days to recover – physically and mentally – from their disastrous loss in the Asian Champions League. But Belmadi believes playing in the final of the Emir Cup will act as an inspiration for the players. “I believe my players will show character. I know we didn’t have enough time to prepare for this game. But I believe the players will recover. It’s the Emir Cup final after all. One of the most important games this season. I have the confidence that we can win this trophy,” said the Algerian yesterday.
Meanwhile, Sadd coach Jesualdo Ferreira is confident that his players are well motivated to win this encounter. “For everybody at the club, it’s a proud moment. This Emir Cup is very important for us. Our motivation is the Cup itself,” said Ferreira yesterday.
And the Portuguese veteran coach believes that Lekhwiya’s loss against Jaish will have no bearing on this match. “The big teams have shown that one bad result doesn’t change anything. Them playing a Champions League match just two days before is not an advantage for us because Lekhwiya are a very strong side.”
Ferreira also believes that making it a hat-trick of Emir Cup titles “is more motivation”. The 69-year-old stressed that confidence and concentration will be key factors that will dictate the result of this nerve-wracking final. “To have confidence is important. We have been telling the players to be confident. With the teams evenly matched, you can win or lose the title in a mere 10 seconds. We cannot afford to make mistakes,” said Ferreira.
The last chance for silverware. A great chance to win a treble. A chance to create history with a first-ever trophy. There is a lot at stake in today’s Emir Cup final, which means that neither team will be willing to give a quarter. We can expect a thrilling encounter and that only bodes well for the fans.