Football giants Al Rayyan and Lekhwiya will clash in the Sheikh Jassim Cup final on September 12. Lekhwiya coach Djamel Belmadi is expecting a ‘feisty’ contest with arch-rivals Al Rayyan when the two sides meet in the Sheikh Jassim Cup tomorrow.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the former Qatar national coach stressed the significance of the season’s opening match in easing his side into a felicitous beginning to their campaign to reinstate themselves as Qatar Stars League champions.
“All indications are it will be a feisty contest on the pitch, yes, I expect a tough game. If we win, that will be a good start to the season for us. We missed many players who were on national duty,” he said.
“I wouldn’t say that affected our training since we are used to this scenario,” he said.
Belmadi praised Al Rayyan for their ‘remarkable’ run to the Qatar Stars League (QSL) title. Al Rayyan, winners of the Qatar Stars League (QSL), dominated the regular season.
Lekhwiya won the Emir Cup in May.  
The winners of these two events contest the one-off match Sheikh Jassim Cup final.
For Al Rayyan, Jorge Fossati will be looking forward to repeat last year’s fairy tale, as he led perennial powerhouse Al Rayyan to win the Qatar Stars League title to end 21 years of drought for the country’s most popular football club.
“It will be a tough game,” he said. “Lekhwiya are considered one of the top sides in QSL. But the confidence of my players is high. We want a positive result from this match’’.
“It is better to play some games before playing Sheikh Jassim Cup. But we can’t control that aspect,” Fossati said.
“I hope we win and add another title to our trophy cabinet,” he said.
This year’s Sheikh Jassim Cup will launch the football season in Qatar which will end next May.
The new QSL season will commence on September 15.