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

“We still have the same determination to win titles. Our team displayed strong performances despite the busy match schedule. We are ready for the cup fixtures. We have a lot of important work to do because we have decisive matches next month in addition to the Emir’s Cup. We reiterate that we enter all tournaments with the aim of winning the title. All matches are important for us and my team proved its potential.

“Al Duhail is the most important stop in my coaching career because the team includes a large group of young players and they are the best currently. I wish to see players such as Bassam Al Rawi, Abdulla Abdelsalam and Nasser Al Yazidi play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” said Belmadi.

“I am satisfied with my players’ performance. I think our match against Al Gharafa will be very tough and strong especially since Al Gharafa had many good performances in the second phase of QNS Stars League. Also, Al Gharafa won their last group-stage match in the AFC Champions League.

“I have huge confidence in my players. I wished for (Youssef) Msakny to be with us. I deal with players not according to their age or name, but with their efforts on the pitch,” added Belmadi.

Commenting on the Video Assistant Referee to be used in the Qatar Cup, the Algerian said, “I really support it because it is crucial for the development of the game as small details can decide the outcome of a game.”

Al Duhail player Karim Boudiaf said, “The cup matches are different than league games because no one can predict the result. We have a team capable of pulling off a win despite the difficulty of Qatar Cup because we have with us such strong teams like Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and Al Gharafa. There is a big difference with Al Gharafa of late as they are a transformed side after the recruitment of Wesley Sneijder, Assim Madibo and Mehdi Taremi.”