Crespo's Al-Duhail to target domestic treble after Emir Cup defeat

Al-Duhail's Argentine coach Hernan Crespo said his side will target a domestic treble by clinching the Qatar Stars League, after their surprise loss on Monday to Al-Sailiya in the Emir of Qatar Cup quarter-finals.

Al-Duhail beat arch rivals Al-Sadd 2-0 last Thursday to win the Qatar Cup, after winning the Qatar Stars League Cup on March 28 with a 1-0 victory over Umm Salal.

Current Emir of Qatar Cup holders Al-Duhail equalised deep in second-half stoppage time on Monday through forward Mohammed Muntari, the scorer of Qatar's only goal in the 2022 World Cup.

But the two sides then went straight to penalties without extra time, and Crespo's side lost 5-4, ending their dream of a domestic quadruple.

"Our team deserved to win after all the chances we had during the match, but we lost on penalties, which is merciless", Crespo told his club website.

"We respect all the clubs we face, and we respected Al-Sailiya... We will try to focus on the upcoming matches in order to maintain our progress in the league," added the former AC Milan, Inter Milan and Chelsea striker.

Al-Duhail are currently top of the Qatar Stars League with 42 points from 17 games, two points ahead of closest rivals Al-Arabi, who have played one more game. Each team plays 22 games.

Crespo's coaching career has included spells in Italy, Argentina - where he led Defensa y Justicia to victory in the Copa Sudamericana - and Brazil, where he led Sao Paulo to the Brazilian Paulista title in 2021.