Al Duhail coach Djamel Belmadi spoke to the media ahead of their Qatar Cup final against Al Sadd.

“It is definitely going to be an exciting match and exciting finish when the big two teams in Qatar clash against each other. We respect all teams, not just Al Sadd. I like to see my team score more and more goals and win matches.

“Al Sadd have world-class players such as Xavi (Hernandez) and a very good coach in Jesualdo Ferreira. But I have no worries. I have no fear. I can talk about tactics only after the game. I study my opponents and gives instructions to my players. And we are just ready for the matches.

“Against Al Gharafa in the semifinal, we changed our strategy after a goalless first half and got the rewards for it. We were successful in stopping them from building moves from behind. Then, it was easy for us to press hard. And we avoided the mistakes we did in the opening session.

“It is going to be a tight game. I wish it does not go into penalties. We are keen to win this trophy.

“Of course, we will miss (Youssef) Msakni due to his cruciate knee injury. He has had his best season in Qatar overall. He not only excelled in scoring goals, but was also outstanding in giving assists. But I trust this squad. I cannot cry or complain that we do not have the services of Msakni. We have a lot of young players in the squad,” said Belmadi.

Al Duhail midfielder Luis Martin said, “We have big respect for Al Sadd. It goes without saying that this is a very important game for both teams. Winning this cup will be a big boost for us in the AFC Champions League’s knockout phase. Our success is because of our hard work. We have players who are together for many seasons. We are professionals and we have learnt from our mistakes. It is also about our desire to win. When you have 18 strong players, you can be unbeaten.”