Doha, Qatar: Qatar find themselves in a precarious position in their bid to reach the FIFA Arab Cup quarter-finals as they meet Tunisia in their final Group A match tonight, with coach Julen Lopetegui (pictured) urging full focus ahead of the crucial clash at Al Bayt Stadium tonight.
With only one point from their opening matches, a win alone may not guarantee Qatar a place in the knockout stage, as the simultaneous match between Palestine and Syria will determine the final standings. Both Syria and Palestine have four points each, and a draw would be enough for both sides to advance.
“We have to do the only thing we can do: compete tomorrow with full focus, thinking only about trying to win the match despite the difficulties, and then wait for the result of the other match. We will need our best. We must remain focused, knowing the strengths of the opponent,” said Lopetegui.
Tunisia, last edition’s runners-up, are in a similar position to Qatar, with both teams on a minus-one goal difference while Palestine and Syria sit at plus one. Lopetegui acknowledged the challenge ahead.Qatar players take part in a training session.
“I think they are one of the favourites in this tournament, considering the quality of their players and their team. Both for them and for us, it is a difficult situation in terms of going forward.”
Qatar suffered a last-gasp own goal against Palestine, while Syria also salvaged a late point against them.
Lopetegui added: “We have to transform the frustration we felt in the last minutes of the previous game – which we did not deserve – into motivation for the next match. Tomorrow is our opportunity to show that, to play well, to face a good team.”
He hopes the Palestine-Syria encounter will be played fairly.
“I trust that each team will try to win, because finishing third matters. In this case I’m sure that third place will be decided properly, and that the winner of the other match will be the team that deserves it. But that is not under our control.”
Tunisia, meanwhile, have also struggled in the group, losing to Syria in their opener and drawing with Palestine.
Their coach, Sami Trabelsi, said: “The fate of both the Tunisian and Qatari teams in tomorrow’s match is not in our hands, but we must defend our chances until the very last moment. Qatar will be playing on its home ground, but our team will also have strong support from our fans who are present in large numbers in Doha, as always.”
He added: “We must forget the previous two matches and believe in our chances in tomorrow’s game, which is our last opportunity. We must win against the Qatari team, and then we will wait to see what happens next.”
Palestine and Syria eye win
In the other Group A clash at Education City Stadium, Palestine and Syria aim to finish the stage on a high note.
Palestinian coach Ihab Abu Jazar said: “We always aim for victory, and whoever plays with two chances may end up losing both. Tomorrow’s match against Syria is like any other group match, and our goal is qualification. It will be very difficult against an improving Syrian team. There are many similarities in the tactical aspects of both sides.”
Syria’s coach Jose Lana echoed the sentiment: “The match against Palestine will be difficult for us, but we are ready to face them and to win, just as we prepare for any other match. We are not thinking about who we might face in the next rounds of the competition, because we have not qualified yet. Our focus is solely on tomorrow’s match.”
