- We know the importance of facing Al Arabi and our goal is to win and qualify for the 2023 Qatar Cup final

- We promise the Al Sadd fans that we’ll make every effort to win the title for the third time in a row

- We’re determined to do our best to move forward, we’ve become stronger after the return of all players

Al Sadd striker Baghdad Bounedjah spoke in an Exclusive Interview with Qatar Stars League website about their upcoming 2023 Qatar Cup semifinal against Al Arabi on Thursday, February 9.

This match comes after Al Sadd recorded four consecutive victories in the 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League after the long break, including the one against Al Arabi in Week 11 in the Qatar Derby by a 2-0 margin.

Bounedjah gave his takes on a wide range of topics ahead of the key clash.

In the first place, we thank you for this interview. We want you to tell us about your preparations for the Al Arabi match in the 2023 Qatar Cup?

We continue training with full force, we know the importance of the match against a strong team as well as the importance of winning it and qualifying for the 2023 Qatar Cup final.

It’s certain that Al Sadd fans expect a lot from the team especially after you won four consecutive matches in the league after the long break. What do you promise them?

We promise the Al Sadd fans that we’ll make every effort to win and qualify for the final, not forgetting the fact that Qatar Cup will witness great competition among the competing teams.

 

Are reigning Qatar Cup champions Al Sadd able to beat Al Arabi and qualify for the final?

Certainly, Al Sadd are able to qualify for the final and win the title for the third time in a row. After the return of Al Annabi stars, we’ve become stronger and all players have only one goal – in keep the winning run.

Al Sadd are currently playing with international players. How do you see its impact on the team in the Qatar Cup?

Without a doubt, the return of international players gave us great confidence and that was evident in the last set of matches.

Is this match against Al Arabi going to be different from that in the league?

Certainly, the Qatar Cup matches are different from those in the league championship. In the league, we played against Al Arabi in Week 11 and won by a 2-0 margin. But in Qatar Cup, the face-off will be equal in view of each team’s keenness to qualify for the final, but we are determined to do our best to move forward, qualify for the final and win the title for the third time in a row.

Both teams have big stars in all departments of the game. As a striker, how do you see it as Al Sadd’s offensive line vs Al Arabi’s defensive line?

The match will be exciting and strong, we always play against Al Arabi and find many difficulties. But this time, we will go into the match knowing the pressure to win.

Who’s the player that worries you the most in the Al Arabi ranks?

We don’t look at a specific player, we play as one team and we know the seriousness of all Al Arabi players. Therefore, we study them very much.

How about the challenges and difficulties that you may face in the rest of the season?

We must overcome all challenges and that’s possible only by working as one unit in order to achieve our goals.

Finally what do you say?

Our goal is to win all matches and I hope that our fans will support us strongly in the upcoming engagements especially since the team is improving from one match to another in order to reach the best level that everyone desires.