Tribune News Network
Doha
Al Wakrah and Al Rayyan will contest strongly in the final of Qatar Cup 2024 at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The kick-off is at 7pm.
The summit clash is between two challenging sides, both having a fierce desire to win the prestigious title. It is expected to be an exciting affair after both Al Wakrah and Al Rayyan qualified for the final with hard-fought wins in their respective semifinals. While Al Wakrah defeated Al Sadd in a thrilling contest (5-4 on penalties following a 2-2 draw at full time), Al Rayyan beat Al Gharafa 2-1.
Speaking ahead of the final, Al Wakrah coach Ali Rahma Al Marri, said, “Al Rayyan are the best technical team and have the largest fan base in Qatar. I tell them that I am their son and I hope that they will also support me 50-50.
“In the semi-final against Al Sadd, after the first half I tried to change some technical matters, but the players are always the key. I was very confident in the team’s ability to come back despite the difficulty of the match.”
Al Rayyan coach Leonardo Jardim, said, “Al Wakrah have a very strong attack, so we must be careful and try to close out on the spaces they would seek. We are trying to end the season with the best results. We finished the league in second place but there are still two tournaments, the Qatar Cup and the Amir Cup, and the team will try to achieve the best.”
Both Al Wakrah and Al Rayyan have qualified for the tournament’s final for the first time after it was renamed as Qatar Cup in 2014.
They have met twice earlier this season in the Expo Stars League. The first-leg match ended in favour of Al Wakrah 3-2, while Al Rayyan won the second leg 3-0.
Both The Blue Wave and The Lions have a number of distinguished players who are capable of producing attacking play. Al Wakrah have the firepower led by their stars Mohamed Benyettou, Jacinto Dala, Ayoub Assal, Hamdy Fathi and others.
On the other hand, Al Rayyan are powered by the presence of Achraf Bencharki, who scored two goals against Al Gharafa in the semifinal, Roger Guedes, Rodrigo Tabata, Gabriel Pereira and Bassam Al Rawi among others.
For Al Wakrah, this is their second successive participation in the Qatar Cup since the tournament was renamed in 2014 and they would look to deliver their best and claim the title by defeating Al Rayyan, who are in their sixth appearance in the Qatar Cup, having previously played in the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021 editions.
