Qatar eye qualifying revival in tense Korea clash

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Wednesday, October 5th 2016 07:12 PM

SUWON: Qatar on Wednesday will be eyeing to revive their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying journey when they take on hosts Korea in an Asian Zone match. The game will be played at Suwon World Cup Stadium with kick off slated for 2pm Qatar Standard Time. Qatar, playing under new coach Jorge Fossati, must deliver against a side managed by Uli Stielike. Fossati's side, that landed in Korea on Monday, are aiming to arrest a losing streak that saw them go down to Iran and Uzbekistan last month. In both games, Qatar played well but dodgy defending late in the games cost them points. Facing Korea - and Syria on October 11 - presents Qatar the chance to collect some much-needed points and revive their qualifying journey. Fossati, who has been with the side for just over 10 days, must get his players together for what would be a tough task at Suwon World Cup Stadium. The 44,000-seat venue will be packed to capacity and Fossati's players must stand up to crowd pressure. Korea too would be feeling the pressure having drawn against Syria last month. For Qatar, strikers Sebastian Soria, Rodrigo Tabata and Hassan Al Haydos must deliver on the pitch with a concerted effort to revive the team's chances of reaching the World Cup finals in Russia. Fossati comes with a reputation of bringing luck to any side. He coached Qatar in the 2007-08 season but had to quit for health reasons. He later returned to Al Sadd and helped them win the 2011 AFC Champions League title. Last season, he guided Al Rayyan to the Qatar Stars League (QSL) title.