Al Khor: The defending champions, Qatar, advanced to the AFC Asian Cup 2023™ quarterfinals on Wednesday with a 1-0 victory over Tajikistan at Al Bayt Stadium, a result that coach Marquez Lopez praised as a result of his team's resilience under pressure. "I'm very pleased to qualify after two matches," said Qatar coach Marquez. "It was a difficult game, but we always knew it would be. We played against a tough, strong team, but we didn't give them the chance to score. Every match is difficult, and you are talking about the Asian Cup. The opposition started with high pressure, but we were able to handle that. We had a problem with possession at the start, but we controlled the match and achieved what we wanted to achieve." Spaniard Lopez made five changes to the team that beat Lebanon 3-0 in the opening game, but Qatar were still too strong for Tajikistan as they confirmed the Group A top spot with a match to spare. "We have 26 players, and I decided to make some changes to give more energy to the team, but the style remains the same." While Qatar will look for their 10th consecutive Asian Cup win when they face China on Monday, Tajikistan will have to defeat Lebanon on the same day if they are to stand a chance of advancing. "Of course, we have won and qualified for the Round of 16, but we still have one more match against China (PR). We may make more changes, but the aim will always be to win, and then we will see who we will meet.