(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
CHANGZHOU: Qatar players yesterday got together for their team training session in an exuberant mood with midfielder Ahmed Suhail saying his team mates couldn't wait for their next match at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
On Monday, Qatar beat hosts China 2-1 to seal their quarter-finals berth. Coached by Felix Sanchez, Qatar take on Palestine in their last-eight clash on Friday.
'My team-mates are very excited. The morale is high after our excellent performances in this tournament, Suhail said in an interview yesterday.
'We have had good results in the group stage. We are hoping for our best performance in the quarter-finals. We will enter the match with the right spirit. We want to post our fourth win in this tournament for a place in the semi-finals, the 18-year-old said.
'I applaud my team-mates the way they have played so far. To qualify for the quarter-finals in this fashion gives us confidence. Now we are getting ready for a tough team. It will be a difficult proposition. They are a strong unit. They have depth in their attack. But we must deal with them with our strengths, he said.
Palestinian defender Oday Dabagh said yesterday: 'We are delighted to have reached this quarter-finals. Our ambition is win this match against Qatar and advance to the semi-finals. I don't think it will be an easy match for both teams.
The 18-year-old added: 'I think two tough teams are playing against each other. Qatar are a good side which has won all three matches. It shows they are a side in form. We played against them recently and beat them and that gives us confidence. It will be a difficult task but we will be ready. We are not feeling any pressure. We have prepared well by playing indoor and outdoor football.
Qatar are unbeaten after three matches whereas Palestine won 1, drew another game while they lost to Japan in the opener.
The 16-team tournament ends on January 27.
Meanwhile, the Qatar camp is brimming with confidence ahead of their quarter-final against Palestine on Friday, team striker Khalid Muneer said yesterday.
'We are ready for tomorrow's game. Our morale is high after qualifying for the quarters with the full points from three matches, Muneer said in an interview yesterday following a team training session. 'We beat strong teams. We will seek to continue our Asian Cup journey here. The match against Palestine presents a unique challenge. We will fight like it is a final, the 19-year-old added.
'We want to get the points in regulation time. We are striving to deliver our best performance. We have to get ready for this combat. I am hopeful we will complete our mission, he said.
Substitute goalkeeper Yousef Hassan said yesterday: 'It's going to a different match compared to our games in the first stage. We played a friendly against them so we got an advantage on that front as we know their style of play. Certainly the match will be tough as we are facing a tough team. They have good players.
The 21-year-old added: 'But we are ready as we are unbeaten and we are confident. We are ready for any challenge. We are looking to win our quarter-finals clash and continue our march in this event. I believe we can do this. We have maintained a high level in the three matches we have played. I pray that luck remains on our side and we achieve our target.
The 16-team tournament ends on January 27. The last edition of the hugely popular event was staged in Qatar where the hosts finished in fourth spot.
MENAFN1701201800630000ID1096365020
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.