Xavi: We want to win the Sheikh Jassim Cup, we must be cautious

Al-Sadd head coach Xavi Hernandez spoke the media on Thursday afternoon, at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Sheikh Jassim Cup (Super Cup) match against Al-Duhail. The match is set to be played on Saturday at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.

“We will miss three players – Baghdad Bounedjah, Hamed Ismail and Tarek Salman – due to suspension. It will be our third game against Al-Duhail in 11 days,” said the coach. “We want to win this trophy and Al-Duhail want revenge. As I said earlier, Al-Duhail are one of the best teams in the Middle East.”

“We are ready for the game. It’s a game of 90 minutes. We need to be motivated and also be wary of Al-Duhail. We also need to improve our work, as the season is only just beginning.”

“If we don’t give our 100 percent, we won’t be able to win titles. We managed to reach the next stage in the Champions League because we were able to do just that. And so, we need to keep giving our best in the Super Cup in order to win the title.”

As for the participation in the Club World Cup, which was confirmed after the Champions League win over Al-Duhail, Xavi remarked: “It’s a great opportunity for us to play in the Club World Cup. There are only three players in the team who took part in the 2011 edition and they played against Barcelona. Now it’s time for the others. We are ready for that and we are preparing daily for the tournament.”

Xavi also praised his players, who he said “had a winning mentality.”

“We have great players, such as Akram Afif – he is excellent and can play in the Spanish league. We are very happy to have him with us.”