Vicente Moreno
Doha, Qatar: Al Rayyan will have the first title of the season in their sights when they take on Muaither in the QSL Cup final at Stadium 974 today.
The Vicente Moreno-coached side, currently third in the Qatar Stars League, will start as favourites against their Second Division rivals, who are featuring in their maiden final.
Today’s title clash presents a golden opportunity for Al Rayyan to end their trophy drought, having not lifted silverware since their Sheikh Jassim Cup triumph in 2018.
Moreno, who recently replaced Artur Jorge, expressed strong confidence in his squad, which also remains in contention for the Amir Cup and the Gulf Club Champions League titles.
“We want to win our first title of the season tomorrow,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
“We have high-calibre players in every position. I have strong confidence in my players to secure the victory and lift the trophy.”
Al Rayyan have impressed in the revamped tournament, topping the league stage before overcoming tough knockout opponents, including Umm Salal, whom they defeated 17-16 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the semi-finals.
“I consider myself fortunate to be leading the team in just two matches. We are in a championship final and only one step away from winning a title. This opportunity is a gift for me,” Moreno added.
Al Rayyan defender Ahmed Al Minhali said the team is not feeling extra pressure heading into the final.
“The match is like any other match of the season, and Al Rayyan will play it with the sole aim of winning. All players have vowed to deliver a strong performance and stay fully focused to achieve victory and lift the championship cup, despite the pressure of the occasion.”
Muaither, meanwhile, will contest their first-ever final after a historic run in the tournament. They edged Al Arabi 3-2 in a penalty shootout following a dramatic 3-3 draw in the semi-final.
Muaither coach Nabil El Zhar urged his side to rise to the challenge against
Al Rayyan.
“Al Rayyan are one of the best teams, boasting high-calibre players,” he said.
“Facing them will undoubtedly require us to exert double the effort and give our absolute best to achieve the desired result and secure the victory and the championship cup.”
He added that Muaither have earned their place in the final.
“Muaither reaching the final was certainly not a stroke of luck. The team has proved its worth since the beginning of the tournament by delivering outstanding performances. We hope that luck will be on our side so that we can make our fans happy.”
Muaither’s Mohammed Rabie said the team is ready for the occasion.
“We are ready to deliver a great performance against Al Rayyan and appear in the best possible form to achieve our goal of winning the title.
Coach Nabil El Zhar has been doing a great job with the players since taking over, and this has translated into the team reaching the final.”
The final will kick off at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the Qatar Stars League held the pre-match technical meeting to review preparations for the final.
Representatives of the league including Ahmed Salman Al Adsani, Director of Competitions, Nasser Mubarak Al Kuwari, Director of Events and Ahmed Abdullah Al Sayed, Head of Football Operations, were present, along with officials from the Qatar Football Association’s Referees Department and both teams.
