Qatar eye semifinals in key game against Bahrain

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Wednesday, December 27th 2017 10:23 PM

  KUWAIT CITY: Qatar coach Felix Sanchez has said that his players are feeling ready for the key match against Bahrain in their Gulf Cup campaign.     A win on Friday against Bahrain at the Kuwait Sports Club Stadium wand secure Qatar a semi-final berth at the Gulf Cup.     Qatar crushed Yemen 4-0 in their opening game at the eight-team event but lost 2-1 against Iraq on Tuesday following an engaging battle.     "We have a third game in hand. It is like a final for us but we are ready for it," Sanchez said after his side's match against Iraq.     "It depends on us if we want to reach the semifinals. Of course we will try to play a better game. We need a good result to qualify. We will try harder," the Spaniard assured.     "There are many things to be decided. It will be like a final for sure," Sanchez said.     The Qatar coach said his players won't take the pressure of a crunch game since such a scenario is often talked about or discussed in team meetings.     "We knew we could be in such a situation before the start of the tournament. The players know it. They are professionals and they are ready to play this kind of a game. They will give their best," Sanchez said.     Sanchez said he opted for changes in team tactics against Iraq since key Qatar midfielder Asim Madibo suffered a back injury in the clash gainst Yemen.     "We needed to do some changes because Asim was not available. That was a tactical change. This way we gave a chance to a fresh player," Sanchez explained.     "We planned the game with three changes. We will not start our planning for the next game. We have 23 good players in the team and we have many options," Sanchez said.