Hamed: We know the importance of the match; it’s going to be different from the league

Al-Sadd defender Hamed Ismail has stressed on the difficulty of the upcoming Qatar Cup 2017 semifinal against Al-Rayyan, adding that everyone involved knew the importance of the match. He also pointed out that the Cup matches are completely different from league matches.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s match, Hamed said: “The match is difficult for both teams, who will use the mistakes of the other in order to get the win. Al-Rayyan will be stronger and better than they were in the league. Our league dream is over but the Qatar Cup could be a great way to make it up for the fans.”

Asked about facing his former side Al-Rayyan, Hamed said: “I had a weird feeling when I first played Al-Rayyan in the league’s first phase, after spending 7 years there. But this is professional football and I always look to be at my best and help my team to victory.”