Al Sadd captain Hassan Al Haydos addressed the media ahead of the Qatar Cup final against Al-Duhail.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s clash, Al-Haydos said: “We have to admit that the final will be very difficult as Al Duhail have begun to gradually return to their top level. They are clearly presenting good levels in the league. They also played well in the FIFA Club World Cup and Amir Cup.
“I think some minor details will settle the issue in the final. We will try hard to minimise our mistakes, so we can win the Qatar Cup final. Our coach Xavi is very right in talking about the final match that cup matches are won and not played. So, it is important for our team to achieve victory regardless of performance. I hope the final will be decided during regular time and that the winning side would be Al Sadd.”
Al-Haydos also spoke about Akram Afif’s suspension, saying: “Akram’s punishment is harsh and there are examples of other such incidents from players in the Qatari league, and we did not see any penalties against them. We, as national team players and Asian champions, always have eyes on us, and the referee did not protect him during the match.”
