Qatar eye quarter-finals berth at home event

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Sunday, January 17th 2016 08:29 PM

DOHA: Hosts Qatar will be looking to seal a quarter-finals berth when they take on Syria on Sunday on what will be day six of the AFC U-23 Championship. Unbeaten in two matches so far, Group A leaders Qatar are coming off impressive wins over China (3-1) and Iran (2-1). Coached by former Barcelona youth manager Felix Sanchez, Qatar will be eager to keep their slate clean when they take on Syria at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. A point from the game can give Qatar a quarter-finals berth. Scoring five times in two matches has given coach Sanchez satisfaction. "To achieve six points from two games gives us confidence," Sanchez said. "It was probably one of the best games in the competition," Sanchez said after the Iran win. "What we have to do is arrive fresh for Syria game by resting well," he added. “We know that the time between games is very short and our main target is to recover the players to have them available for the next game,” said Qatar coach Sanchez. Sanchez said he is hoping Qatar can recover quickly after back-to-back wins. “It’s hard to play three games in seven days, but it's the same for everyone and we have to adapt and get to the next game in the best condition,” Sanchez said yesterday.