Al Duhail coach Rui Faria said, “We’re facing a team that we know well. They have stability at the technical level as their coach has been with them for long. We know the philosophy with which they will be playing and we will be ready for them.

“When I came here, I knew the history of our club and its ambitions. When the administration has provided us with all the facilities, our target is to compete for all titles. After all, this is football and I always focus on the next match.

“The line between success and failure is thin. But in the world of football, you cannot know what the results can be. Some coaches believe good work with the team is success, but in Al Duhail, the philosophy is to win trophies.

“We know the value of our new recruit (Mario) Mandzukic, but we focus on the team as a whole. In the last game, we had an organised opponent who worked seriously to get that point, but we depend on the team as a whole and not on one player.

“Our new North Korean player Han Kwang-Song is training with the team, which is an additional option for us.”

Ismail Mohammed said, “Our preparations went off well. We know that the cup games are different from league games. It requires high concentration and we must bring out our best. We will do it in order to achieve victory and qualify for the final. There is no easy match. Al Sailiya always are tough opponents. As a footballer, I always try to implement the coach’s instructions. After my return from injury, I have been working intensely to get back to my actual level.”