Al-Duhail meets Al-Khaleej Saudi Arabia, today, in the semi-finals of the 27th Asian Men’s Handball Champions League Championship, which is currently being held in Doha and continues until November 23, and qualifies for the World Continental Champions Club Championship (Super Globe 2025/).
Al-Duhail qualified for the semi-finals after coming third in the second group in the group stage with two wins over Al-Ahly Sadab of Oman and Kazma of Kuwait, compared to two losses to Al-Khaleej of Saudi Arabia and Miss Kerman of Iran. In the semi-finals, Al-Duhail defeated Al-Rayyan. On the other hand, Al-Khaleej also topped the second group with four consecutive victories at the expense of Miss Kerman of Iran, Kazma of Kuwait, Al-Duhail and Ahli Sadab of Oman, and in the semi-finals Al-Khaleej won over Al-Shabab of Bahrain.
The two teams have the ambition of winning and qualifying for the final match to get one step closer to the championship title, as Al-Duhail is looking forward to winning the title for the fourth time after 2016, 2019 and 2021, while Al-Khaleej seeks to maintain the title that it won for the first time in the last edition, 2023.
It is expected that this match will attract a large audience, as it will determine the characteristics of the champion, and it is expected to cast a shadow on the calculations of the coaches of the two teams, as the coach of the Al-Duhail team will try to mobilize all his important weapons for this fateful confrontation in search of his first achievement with the team this season, and Goran will rely a lot in the match on great experience. The team’s trump cards will be represented by Tunisian professionals Boutfaha and Japanese Takoda, in addition to Ahmed Maddi, Rashed, and Mustafa Haiba. He also has many trump cards. The bench will be replaced when needed.
Guarren Jokic: An even match
Al-Duhail coach, Serbian Goarn Jokic, confirmed that today’s match against Saudi Gulf will be strong and difficult, and we hope that the team will be present on its day, physically and mentally, in order to present our true level.
He said: I think it is an equal match between the two teams, and the team that knows how to take advantage of opportunities and the opponent’s mistakes will be closest to winning. Al-Duhail suffered during the past matches from injuries and played some matches without the main players, but the absences did not greatly affect the achievement of our ambition to continue working in order to be part of the final match. He added: We will face a strong team that includes distinguished players, but we also have a good group of players. Who have demonstrated their abilities and that they are able to keep up with any competitor and move forward towards achieving what is better. We will strive for the best in today’s meeting.
Dimitris: We will face a strong competitor
The Greek coach of Al-Khaleej, Dimitris Dimitroulas, confirmed that the confrontation with Al-Duhail will be strong and we have no choice but to play to win. We will face one of the strong teams in the tournament, in addition to the fact that the competitor has great experience in such tournaments and includes international players who have participated with the Qatari team in many continental and international tournaments. On the other hand, the Gulf team also includes good elements and has sufficient experience to deal with this match appropriately. He added: Certainly, the nominations that are in our interest to win the title will put a lot of pressure on the team, and we know that we are going into this edition under great pressure because we are the team that held the title of the previous edition and we hope to continue our strong performances. And our positive results in order to win the title.
Ahmed Maddi: A different confrontation
Al-Duhail player Ahmed Maddi said: There is no doubt that today’s semi-final match against the defending champion Saudi Gulf will be more difficult, but that does not prevent us from playing with the ambition of winning, and we are very confident in Al-Duhail’s ability to deliver the performance that will lead them to the final. He added: Every match has its own circumstances. It is true that Al-Khaleej won over Al-Duhail in the group stage, but in today’s confrontation, things will be very different and we will not be an easy prey for the competitor.
Maddi praised the crowd attendance during the previous match between Al-Duhail and Al-Rayyan, stressing the importance of continued public support for his team in the semi-finals, as he said that holding the tournament in Doha constitutes an incentive for the fans to provide support so that Al-Duhail can win and qualify for the final.
Ali Al Ibrahim: Both teams are candidates
Ali Al Ibrahim, the Saudi Gulf player, confirmed that today’s match, a knockout match, will be difficult for both sides, and the team that will play with great focus and mental preparedness will be the closest to achieving victory.
He said: We are well aware that the nominations are in the interest of our team to win and perhaps also to be crowned with the title, but from my point of view Al-Duhail is also a strong team and a candidate for victory, and therefore the match will be difficult for both teams, especially since each team will throw everything it has in order to cut off the visa to qualify for the final, and God willing, we will be successful. Good luck to win.
He concluded his speech by addressing the large audience owned by the Gulf Club, stressing that their presence will be a motivation and incentive to achieve victory and continue the journey of defending the title.