(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Rizwan Rehmat I The Peninsula
Qatar's five consecutive wins at the AFC Asian Cup have been the result of players delivering fighting performances against top sides, QFA Secretary-General Mansoor Al Ansari said yesterday.
Qatar, coached by Felix Sanchez, today take on hosts UAE today on the back of wins over South Korea, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Lebanon.
'Technically, I believe we are more advanced than the UAE side. The previous five matches prove that we have played at a very high level compared to our rivals, Al Ansari said yesterday.
Qatar's in-form players have fired in 12 goals in five matches, thanks largely to Almoez Ali's tally of seven.
'I have said this from the beginning - I am optimistic about the mindset of our players. I am optimistic about their performance level. I am thrilled to see them fight and I have enjoyed their battles so far. If you put all that together, you get a strong side, he added.
'I was always optimistic that the technical level we'd exhibit would be very high. Even when we were set to play South Korea, I was confident that we would win because - with all due respect to the competing teams - we were much better on the technical side, the QFA official said.
'The Koreans and Australian sides of the past were technically much better. Same with Saudi and Japan. These are still great teams but they are not at the level they were in the past. Iran is a strong technical side, he added.
Al Ansari said the QFA leadership and the team backroom staff headed by Sanchez were turnings things around for the young Qatar side.
'We have a great team of backroom staff. There are mental conditioners with the side. These experts help the players on the mental side of the preparation. The players have every support they need. The squad also has the support of our leadership. QFA President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani has been going to meet the squad every single day from Oman, Al Ansari said.
'The QFA President is going there to show support. That alone is a big motivation for our players, he added.
Al Ansari said Qatar firing in 12 goals in just five matches clearly made the difference for the young side.
'The major positive has been that we have scored 12 goals in just five matches. The youngsters have stepped up. The good thing has been that we also saw the players who were on the benches come up and deliver straight away. That's been huge. That shows that even our players on the benches are in top mental and physical condition. It's a comforting thought, Al Ansari said.
Al Ansari said playing UAE on their home soil could be used to Qatar's advantage.
'Many people would see that we are playing away and that could be a disadvantage but it is a big advantage as well. You get a competitive edge when that happens. The feeling in this Qatar vs UAE clash will be that we have to give our best come what may, Al Ansari said.
'We did that when we beat Saudi Arabia (in the first phase of the tournament). The stadium then was full of Saudi fans. Beating them (2-0) was a big achievement. We will be entering the stadium with the drive to win the match. The team will battle hard.
'The Qatar team has shown great fighting spirit during this tournament. We were able to pass all challenges in this tournament. This is football. Anything can happen. I am certain every fan will see a winning strategy in play in the match, he added.
'(Coach) Felix Sanchez is doing great. He has done fantastic work with the core group that is playing in the UAE. Hopefully our good form continues and his good work also carries on like it has been the past few months, he said.
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