Rodrigo Tabata celebrates a goal against Al Gharafa on Saturday.
DOHA: Rodrigo Tabata’s early goal against Al Gharafa on Saturday helped Al Rayyan dictate terms in the Amir Cup semif-final, coach Michael Laudrup said.
Al Rayyan on Saturday sealed a 3-0 win at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium where senior pro Sebastian Soria provided two lethal assists that helped Tabata (3 and 88) to deliver a commanding performance. Tabata’s double strike earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.
South Korean import Koh Myong-jin (47) scored the third goal as Al Rayyan beat Al Gharafa who had the services of Dutch star Wesley Sneijder.
“We scored early and this gave the players a lot of confidence in themselves,” Laudrup said after the one-sided win.
“We got a great result because scoring three goals against Al Gharafa is not a small thing,” the popular Dutchman said.
“But winning this game is not enough for us,” Laudrup said. “Now we have to prepare ourselves for a difficult match (against Al Duhail in the final),” Laudrup said.
The Amir Cup final will be played on May 19 at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium.
“The final holds all possibilities. For us to reach our goal, we must prepare well and stay focused,” Laudrup said.
“We will be playing the strongest team in Qatar and it’s recent form suggests that it will be a tough match. They won the Qatar Cup and the League title also,” he added.
“They are also doing well in the AFC Champions League,” the Al Rayyan coach said.
“I cannot say Al Rayyan will win the title but if we play a good game and take care of small details, anything can happen,” Laudrup said.
“We will try to give rest to all the players. Myong-jin needs rest for only two days and he will be ready for the final,” said Laudrup.
“For Ahmed Abdul Maqsoud, he was changed to avoid being stressed and also ready for the final,” he added.
Frenchman Johan Moulou said in a post on the club website: “We feel ready for the Amir Cup final. I have gelled well with the team since my arrival. I am happy to see my team qualify for the final.” He added: “We played
a big game against Al Gharafa and we deserved to reach the final because of the level we showed and I think we can win the title this season.” Al Rayyan’s Mohammed Juma said: “It is a massive thrill for the team to reach the Amir Cup final. If we win, this will give us the chance to shake the hand of the Amir. Just to reach the final feels like an honour and to win the title would be just amazing.
“I would say we played an excellent game against Al Rayyan and fully deserved to be in the final. If you ask me, I would say we do not fear Al Duhail in the final. We feel ready to lift the Amir Cup title once again,” Juma said.
Al Rayyan will be aiming to lift the title for the seventh time. Laudrup’s side lost the Amir Cup final last year against Al Sadd.
