Umm Salal coach Patrice Carteron and player Kenji Gorre spoke to the media ahead of their 2023-2024 season Ooredoo Cup final against Al Arabi, to be played at the Grand Hamad Stadium on Saturday, January 6, 2024.

Carteron said, “We are proud of reaching the final of Ooredoo Cup after a lot of work throughout the tournament. We face Al Arabi in the final who won the Amir Cup last season and are one of the distinguished teams that perform very well under the guidance of coach Younes Ali. It will make the final contest challenging, but I have great confidence in our team’s ability to win the title.

“We need to stay focused in the final, but play freely from the very start as we did in the semifinal. But the final will not be easy at all.

“I don’t look much at what has been achieved in the past, but at the next match and what one needs to achieve in the future. The most important match for me has always been the next match.

“The Ooredoo Cup title is very important for us and this group of players who have made great efforts throughout the past period and worked very hard in training. I believe that reaching the final and obtaining this cup will confirm that Umm Salal are indeed developing and are on the right track. We have had the opportunity to continue working from the beginning and we look to achieve our ambitions and goals that we strive for.”

“We will not have Ousama Tannane and Meshal Al Shammari, who are two of the main players in the team, for the final. Their absence is certainly very impactful and a big loss for the Umm Salal team but perhaps these absences will be an opportunity for other players to show their capabilities and we must continue to play as one team and a homogeneous group as we have done since the beginning of the season.

“I also thank the club management and club president for the great support for the team and for signing the best players, making Umm Salal one of the best clubs now.”

Gorre said, “It is great that we have made it to the final of Ooredoo Cup and now we shall do our best to win the title and bring the trophy to our club and for our fans.

“The final would be tough and against a strong team, but we have full confidence in ourselves and we will play with great enthusiasm to achieve victory.

“For me, this final is my first during my football career and since I came to Qatar and played for Umm Salal, and I am looking forward to this moment. Also, everyone in the team is determined to give off their best during Saturday’s final against Al Arabi.”