Umm Salal coach Talal El Karkouri spoke to the media ahead of their 2022-2023 season Ooredoo Cup final against Al Duhail.

“The match against  Al Duhail is crucial and we will be ready strongly in order to win the title, especially since victory over Al Arabi in the semifinal gave the players a great morale boost.

“Definitely an important and strong match against the league leaders, and we see it as an opportunity to win the title.

“Al Duhail are an excellent team and have players at a very high level. They present themselves well and are on top of the league table.

“The final against Al Duhail will, of course, be more difficult than the previous match with Al Arabi, and everyone knows that the opponent is a very strong team that beat Al Sadd in the semifinal. I hope that we do not repeat what happened during the first half in the Al Arabi match and that we appear in a satisfactory manner through which we can achieve a good result. We have nothing to lose and this is the nature of the cup finals.

“We must try to do our best to achieve victory, especially since we got the opportunity to reach the final. I have great confidence in our players in order to make an effort to win the title. We will play in a different way and style, and all we seek is crowning glory,” said El Karkouri.

Umm Salal player Yassin Al Bakhit said, “Reaching the final is an important and big step, and we look forward to winning the Ooredoo Cup.

“Reaching the final is a big and important step. We hope to win the title. Cup matches are a good opportunity for the players and the team in general.

“We are ready to face Al Duhail with great spirit and morale, and we know fully that they are a strong team and we respect them very much. We can get the title this season in view of the great support from the club’s management headed by His Excellency Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.”