Tabata takes it in his stride

Al Rayyan captain Rodrigo Tabata had ended up as winner in the two previous Emir’s Cup finals he had played in at the Khalifa International Stadium. And when he lost this time, the playmaker seemed to take it in his stride.

“Everybody who came for the final should be happy for all the things they saw at the match. It was a good game. There wasn’t luck for us as Sadd scored their second goal in injury time. We had the opportunity to do so before that. Congratulations to Sadd for the victory. Sorry to all our fans,” said Tabata.

Sadd remained insurmountable for Rayyan this season, which Tabata attributed to their quality.

“We all wanted to win, especially since it was the Emir’s Cup final. But once again, they proved superior. They had the merit to do so,” added Tabata.