The 2017 edition of the Workers Cup begins in Doha this Friday with a record 32 teams aiming for the top prize – and one of them hoping for a repeat triumph.
Defending champions Taleb Group – who are in Group C this year – were in confident mood at the draw ceremony, which was attended by representatives from all 32 participating teams.
“Before last year’s final, I said that the tournament is a great platform for workers to discover themselves. But after we won the trophy the change has been truly phenomenal and well beyond even what I had imagined,” said Taleb Group assistant coach Mohammed Saad.
“Though we are faced with additional pressure this year because no team has successfully defended the title, our self-belief from last year’s win knows no bounds and will help us create tournament history on 31 March, the day of the final.”
Taleb coach Ahmed Abdullah added: “We started training for this year’s competition a few months ago and have been very creative on the pitch. We have also been able to go through the process of creating a team this year by identifying new talent and getting them to blend with the existing group.”
Other teams like last year’s semi-finalists Larsen & Toubro are also looking to take an additional step in this year’s Workers Cup. Abdulaziz Sulaiman, a former professional footballer from Ghana and now captain of Larsen & Toubro, was optimistic about his team’s chances.
“Our target this year is the beautiful trophy,” said the winger. “We have been training hard for the last four months and the team is ready. We played very well last year, including in the semi-final, and we have realised we are a gifted bunch.”
One of the four participating teams with a connection to the SC’s flagship CSR project Generation Amazing, Larsen & Toubro are in Group E this year and their Ghanaian captain is hoping to start this year’s campaign on a winning note.
“The confidence we gained from last year has helped the team to express themselves freely on the training ground and set new goals this year,” he concluded.
The 2017 Workers Cup kicks off on 24 February.
