(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Qatar's Under-20 head coach Spaniard Felix Angel said the team is looking ahead to the Qualifiers for the AFC U-20 Asian Cup China 2025 with great enthusiasm and that the team is fully prepared aiming to make it to the continental finals.
Speaking on eve of Qatar's opening match against Singapore in Group J, to be played at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium at 8pm today, Angel further said: “We are excited to enter this tournament with high spirits. This competition presents a big challenge for us and the first match is a tough one.
“We are playing on home turf but all teams have equal chances. Our focus in on our opening match which is a difficult one.”
Qatar, who emerged triumphant in 2014 and have qualified for each of the past five editions.
Singapore U-20 head coach Fadzuhasny Juraimi
Singapore's head coach Fadzuhasny Juraimi, said,“We are well prepared and we will face strong competition with the rest of the group's teams.”
The visitors have 19 appearances, three more than the home side, although the latest occasion being in 1978.
Doha is playing host to the matches of Group J of the Qualifiers (from Sept 25 to 29) in which Qatar are joined Singapore, Jordan and Hong Kong.
All matches will be held at the same time (8 pm) at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
Today, Jordan will meet Hong Kong. The simultaneous kick-off at the Grand Hamad Stadium has Jordan aiming for a third consecutive qualification and ninth overall, battling Hong Kong, China, whose last appearance – their 16th – came in 1977.
Qatar will meet Hong Kong in the second match while Jordan will play Singapore on the 27th.
The group qualifiers will conclude with Qatar meeting Jordan, and Singapore playing Hong Kong.
It is worth noting that the competition journey to qualify for the 2025 AFC U- 20 Asian Cup in China has the participation of 45 teams for the 42nd edition of the tournament.
The Qualifiers will continue until September 29 with the matches of the 10 groups (five of four teams and five of five teams) being held in a league system.
The 10 teams that finish first in each group qualify for the finals along with the five best second – placed teams to be joined by host China, the 1985 champions.
China will be hosting the tournament for the second time since 2010.
The qualifying stage was first introduced for the 1980 edition of the tournament, and this edition includes 14 of the 16 teams that have won the title to date.
On the other hand, nine teams are hoping to qualify for the first time: Bhutan, Guam, Macau, Maldives, Mongolia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palestine, East Timor and Turkmenistan.
Qatar squad: Abu Bakr Mohammed, Jalal Amir and Mohammed Fawzy; Ibrahim Al Hassan, Awab Fadhel, Jassim Al Hamad, Bassam Adel, Moaz Ibrahim , Nawaf Al Yahri, Younis Mohammed, Youssef Mohammed, Abdullah Mujib, Mohammed Khaled, Othman Mohammed, Jameel Riyaz, Tahseen Mohammed, Salem Reda, Abdul Aziz Al Bakri, Mohammed Hani, Youssef Marai, Ali Mohammed, Fayez Marwan, and Ayoub Al Alawi.
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