Al Rayyan coach Diego Aguirre said, “I like these kind of matches, where one team advances and the other exits. Cup matches are different and must be played with a different mentality from the league. Facing such a strong team as Al Sadd, you must use all your energies and give off your best.

“Al Sadd coach Xavi said this is sort of a revenge game for them because we beat them in the league (Qatar Clasico), but it is not the same for me. I respect Al Sadd, a group of distinguished players who are able to provide a good level. But on the other hand, I trust my team and we have an opportunity to win this match.

“We played Al Sadd four months ago, I do not want to evaluate it. What concerns me is my team, so my focus is on what we offer to win against Al Sadd, which has not changed and it is a big and strong team.”

“Al Sadd are one of the best teams. They have players who are good at moving around the field, especially offensively. We have to control their attackers well because they have players who are dynamic. I hope to win the title with Al Rayyan even though this is a very difficult championship.”

Fahad Younis said, “This competition is distinct and different from all competitions. This is the first time I play in it and I hope to win the cup. So it will be the first title I win with Al Rayyan. Facing Al Sadd is certainly different from all matches, because the opponent is a strong team. It will be more tough as Al Sadd regained confidence after their victory over Al Arabi in the last game, but we will be on top of our readiness and we want to achieve victory. My first dream is to achieve titles with Al Rayyan. Then it is to represent the Qatar national team. This is the dream of any player.”