(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Fifa.com
Doha: Notwithstanding their semi-final defeat, Qatar gave a good account of themselves at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 with victories over Bahrain, Oman, Iraq and UAE, before succumbing to a strong Algerian outfit.
Despite already participating in the Copa America and CONCACAF Gold Cup, as well as playing official friendlies as part of European qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar were relishing the chance to test themselves at the Arab Cup, where, playing in front of large crowds, they could also get a foretaste of what to expect when hosting next year's showpiece event.
In conversation with FIFA.com, Al Annabi midfielder Karim Boudiaf explained the importance of the competition a year prior to the World Cup:“The tournament was a trial run for the World Cup and has given us the chance to compete against strong teams such as Algeria and Egypt.”
The semi-final against Algeria had a thrilling finale with Qatar equalising in added time only for the Desert Warriors to grab the winner from the penalty spot in the 17th minute of added time.
Despite that bitter defeat, Karim Boudiaf was focusing on the positive:“Although we ultimately lost out, we came back strongly and equalised in the dying minutes of the match.
Unfortunately, we couldn't find the winning goal.
“Overall, though, we're satisfied with our performance at the tournament,” he added.
The 31-year-old finished by saying:“The Arab Cup has been spectacular, and it's been a privilege to be a part of it.”
“We'll be facing a strong team with a lot of experience (in the third-place play-off), so we'll no doubt take a lot from the game. Going up against teams like Algeria and Egypt gives us vital experience before the World Cup,” the Qatari midfielder said ahead of yesterday's match.
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