Qatar eye Rio ticket in play off clash

Date

1/28/2016 4:05:30 PM

(MENAFN- The Peninsula)

Doha: Hosts Qatar will aim to forget their semi-final loss against South Korea in a hurry and instead focus on the next match against Iraq.

The home team lost the AFC U-23 Championship semifinal 3-1 on Tuesday night and must beat Iraq in the third-place play-off to seal their ticket for the football competition at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez (pictured) will spend the next two days trying to lift the mood of his dejected players as they aim to keep their Olympic Games dream alive after two late South Korea goals eliminated the hosts from the Championship.

While Qatar’s chances of claiming the continental title evaporated thanks to goals from Kwon Chang-hoon and Moon Chang-jin in the final six minutes Sanchez and his team will meet Iraq tomorrow in a battle for the continent’s third and final berth at the Rio de Janeiro Games in August. “We knew the possible scenarios before the game” said the Spanish coach. “Everyone is sad just now but when we go to the hotel we will start to prepare.

“They need to have a good rest and recover fast because in less than three days we have another important game. We have to try to get a good result to keep the good things we did and avoid the things that were not good enough.

“We know we’re going to face another final and Iraq had the same scenario as us they lost in the last minutes so we are in the same situation. We’re going to recover fast and we will try to perform well.

“We know Iraq is a top team in Asia and we will try to do well and have a good result.”

Qatar looked to have done enough to take the semi-final into extra-time when Ahmed Alaa levelled the scores 11 minutes from time after Ryu Seung-woo had given Korea Republic the lead in the 48th minute.

Ali Asad went close to putting the host nation in front in the 84th minute but goals from Kwon and Moon in the dying minutes secured places in the final and at the Olympic Games for the South Koreans.

“I think it was a very equal game” added Sanchez.

“In the first half we were very well organised and it was a very close game. In the second half we started a little sleepy and they scored and it took some minutes to come back. Then we scored but when it looked like we would score a second they scored and we sent some players forward because it was the same to lose 2-1 or 3-1.

“The players tried hard. Now we have to prepare for the next one but it’s going to be tough. I think after we scored the goal we were pushing harder and we had the best chances but this is football. They scored the opportunity they had when they were suffering and sometimes this can happen. We just have to accept what happened and prepare for the next game.

“I think in all the games the players showed this team spirit” he said. “It’s very important to play in these kind of competitions and in the next games they will try their best to perform well and have a good result.”

The Peninsula

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.