Al Sadd to face MC Alger in Al Ahrar Cup friendly

Al Sadd will face MC Alger in a pre-season friendly on 15 August as both clubs continue their preparations for the new campaign.

The match, which has been named the Al Ahrar Cup, will kick off at 19:00 and will be played at Al Sadd’s Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha.

The fixture was announced by Al Sadd on Saturday, 1 August, with the Qatari club using the game as part of its preparations for the start of the domestic season.

Al Sadd have already played three matches during their training camp in Austria. They recorded a 1-0 victory over Turkish side Trabzonspor, but also suffered defeats by Shabab Al Ahli and Czech club Sigma, losing 4-1 and 2-1 respectively.

Their win against Trabzonspor was the latest of those three matches and provided a positive result after the two earlier setbacks. The friendly against MC Alger will give Al Sadd another opportunity to assess their readiness before competitive action begins.

MC Alger have also been working through a series of pre-season fixtures at a camp in Austria. The Algerian side beat Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal 2-0 before drawing 1-1 with South African team Mamelodi Sundowns.

The meeting with Al Sadd will therefore bring together two teams who have already faced strong opposition during their preparations. It will also provide MC Alger with another test before the start of the Algerian league campaign.

Al Sadd are expected to begin their season against Al Ahli in the opening round of the Qatar Stars League, where they will attempt to defend their title.

The draw for the Algerian league has not yet taken place. The competition is expected to begin on 27 August, meaning MC Alger’s visit to Doha will come less than two weeks before the anticipated start of their domestic campaign.

The match at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium will be the first announced meeting between the two clubs in the new season. It forms part of Al Sadd’s build-up to their title defence, while MC Alger continue to prepare for a league schedule whose opening fixtures remain unknown until the draw is completed.