(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
CHANGZHOU: Feared striker Amoez Ali yesterday said he is delighted with his goal-scoring form at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup where the tall forward has guided Qatar to the quarter-finals stage of the popular continental tournament.
Qatar beat hosts China 2-1 on Monday to seal their last-berth by completing their successive win at the 16-team event. Qatar, coached by Felix Sanchez, will take on Palestine on Friday.
'Of course, I feel very happy that we have qualified for the next round and I want to say congratulations to my team-mates, Ali said yesterday.
'I am also very happy that I scored the goals. I now hope I can continue scoring and (in the process) help my team carry on winning, he warned.
Ali scored both of Qatar's goals against China. The Al Duhail forward also managed to get his name on the scoresheet in the match against Uzbekistan when Qatar won 1-0. Akram Afif scored in the 1-0 win for Qatar against Oman.
Despite his rich form, Ali said Qatar are gearing up for their knockout clash thinking of it as a final.
'We have played every game as if it was a final and won all of our three games. We will be doing the same in the quarter-finals also, Ali said yesterday. 'We are playing against Palestine and we will need to approach that in a very careful and serious manner, he added.
Qatar's defender Meshaal Al Shammeri yesterday said: 'I would like to congratulate my team-mates for reaching the quarter-finals. I think we have a real challenge in front of us a Palestine cannot be taken lightly. We will face a strong team. They beat Thailand 5-0 in this tournament.
He added: 'The next clash requires out total commitment and concentration since it is the knockout stage of the event. We will face stiffer challenge now. But having said that, I have great confidence in my team-mates. I hope we continue our journey with a strong performance.
Qatar defender Omar Al Emadi, who played the drying minutes against China on Monday, said: 'I think we did extremely well in the first round as we remained unbeaten against quality sides. I believe the real challenge starts now. Palestine are a strong side.
Al Emadi added: 'Both teams will be playing to win. In order to dominate the match, we must look to score goals. We must look at the win and attempt to reach the semi-finals.
MENAFN1601201800630000ID1096360395
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.