Hassan: We have what it takes

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Monday, August 29th 2016 02:20 AM

DOHA: left back Abdulkarim Hassan on Sunday said his team was ready to commence their campaign in third round of the Asian Zone of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. Qatar, primed for a tough opening match in Tehran on September 1; will look forward to jump start matters in perfect manner at the famous Azadi Stadium where the maroon boys have managed to walk away with the draw point in their last two visits to the 100,000 seater stadium. With a tally of 21 points, Qatar finished as Group C leaders in the previous round, “Our team has done great in the second phase of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches”. Hassan said, ‘’the expectations are quite high in Qatar at the moment, but I believe this group of players have what it takes to rise to the occasion”. “All the teams who appear in any qualifying campaign have the potential to move ahead. However, regardless of who we face, we know we will face a difficult task, the first week of this September is crucial to all the six teams competing in our group, I think the results of the two opening rounds will significantly determine how things will play out eventually”. Despite his young age, the Al Sadd stalwart has already bagged 51 caps for his country making him one of the most seasoned names in the squad, “Our team includes a group of players that is mix of young and experienced. We have a good coach in Daniel Carreno. Our goal is to win the next two games,” he said. “We can achieve the dream of reaching the World Cup finals for the first time”.