Qatar Football AssociationNational Teams | U-23
20.01.2018 0:33 in : &

CHANGZHOU: Coach Felix Sanchez on Friday said Qatar deserved to win their AFC U-23 Asian Cup quarterfinals against Palestine.

Striker Almoez Ali smashed a couple of goals while Hashim Ali got the third as Qatar won 3-2.

“I think Palestine showed great spirit and they tried until the very last minute, but over the course of 90 minutes, I believe we deserved the win,” Sanchez said on Friday.

“We are very proud to have reached the last four of this very important tournament. My players have made a huge effort to reach this position and they gave everything (tonight) not just as individuals but as a team,” he added.

Ayman Sandouqa, head coach of Palestine, said on Friday: “We had a great second half, but just could not find the equaliser. This is certainly not the end for this team.”

He added: “We have a lot of young players who will be able to play at the next U23 Championship, and we will come back and do better next time. What we have done throughout the tournament has made me very proud of the team and what we have achieved here.”

The tournament will end on January 27.

Qatar have stormed into the semifinals without dropping a match in four fixtures.