(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Al Sadd will be looking to put behind the disappointment of missing out on the Qatar Stars League title, while El Jaish will play their last QSL match before their impending merger with Lekhwiya, when the two big teams play each other at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium today.
'The players and the coach are disappointed with the latest news about El Jaish. We are still committed, however, and want to finish the season in the best possible way. It's difficult for us to understand as we are proud to work for this big club in Qatar, El Jaish's assistant coach Jean-Marc Kuentz said at the pre-match press conference.
Fourth-placed Jaish will be looking to end their campaign on a high in what will be a dress rehearsal for the Qatar Cup semi-final.
'We lost the last two games, so we need to stop this against Al Sadd. After this game the domestic competitions will start and these will be the important games for El Jaish moving forward, Kuentz said.
'We will try and push the players to do their best despite our situation. We have the chance to test ourselves against Al Sadd, along with the domestic competitions and we hope to be strong to the very end.
Wolves coach Jesualdo Ferreira was wary ahead of Jaish's last QSL game before the merger.
'Tomorrow will be an important match, against one of the best sides in the league. I have heard about the fusion and I believe El Jaish will want to end their history on a good note. We will be aiming to stop them, Ferreira said. 'We will be using our first team for this match as we prepare for the Cup games.
Asked to evaluate his side's league campaign, the Portuguese coach said, 'I am satisfied with my work. We have given many opportunities to young players and they have shown their quality this season. We have played well overall, but made some crucial mistakes in certain games.
In-form Kharaitiyat take on Gharafa
Also playing today will be in-form Al Kharaitiyat, who will look to end their campaign on a high against Al Gharafa.
'We will be playing Al Gharafa without any pressure, which will reflect in the game we play. The result will not affect our place in the league, but we want to end the season with a win and the match will be an ideal test for the Emir Cup, Kharaitiyat's Tunisian coach Ahmad al-Ajlani said.
'When I arrived I didn't expect to finish this high in the league, but our good work towards the end of the season has been a joint effort from the players, the coaching staff and club management, said al-Ajlani when asked about Al Kharaitiyat's pulling away from the relegation zone towards the end of the season.
'We are not favourites in this game, Al Gharafa have many good young players who can cause any side in the QSL trouble on their day. They fell just short of the top four and will cause us problems.
Emir Cup preparation is on the mind of Al Gharafa's caretaker boss Habib Sidiq too.
'We will be playing to win in this game, even if it's not going to affect our standing the league. We need to keep our concentration up till the very end in the league campaign, and use this as a marker for the Emir Cup, Sidiq said.
'We are playing a well-organised side in Al Kharaitiyat, who have really improved in recent weeks. We will try to convert our domination into goals.
Talking about the remaining season, Sidiq said, 'Emir Cup will be our priority from now on. We will finish fifth in the league, which is a major achievement for Al Gharafa, but now we must focus on the Cup and get as far as we possibly can in the competition to convert our league form to a trophy.
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