HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND: Qatar team regular AhmedAl Saadihas urged
his team mates to exploit goal-scoring opportunities in their last
group game against Senegal at FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Qatar lost to a powerful Portugal who scored two goals in each half
for a 4-0 win in their Group C clash in pelting rain on Wednesday
night.
"We did not take advantage of the opportunities we had in the game. We
must exploit the goal scoring opportunities and minimize the
mistakes," AlSaadi said.
"We probably did not get enough chances to score as we got against
Colombia. Also, there were some mistakes from us which allowed
Portugal to score the goals," 19-year-old said.
"Hopefully we will rectify our mistakes and create chances to score,"
the Belgium-based forwardsaid.
When asked about the bad weather impacting the play on the pitch, Al
Saadisaid: "We have played in similar conditions during the Asian
Cup U-19. It did slow us down but that was not an excuse."
He added: "What matters is we were up against a quality European side,
one of the strongest outfits at this competition".
Qatar, AlSaadi said, must deliver against Senegal who held Colombia
to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.
"Our game against Senegal is our last chance of going forward in this
tournament. We will do everything to turn things around. We want to
qualify and we will give our best," he said.
Defender Tameem Almuhaza said: "We committed far too many mistakes (on
Wednesday). I think that was the main reason for the defeat. Also, I
guess we were not ready (enough) to play in such cold conditions and
with such heavy rain."
He added: "We know we have to close the file on this match. We need to
focus on the next match, It is a must-win situation for us. We hope
that we give a better account of ourselves against Senegal."
Defender Bassam Hisham said: "Yes, we had very tough competition
against Portugal. We missed more than one opportunity to score. I
thought we were a bit unlucky not to score goals though we did get
some chances. It is goals that win you matches."
Bassam stressed that Qatar still stood a chance to qualify for the next round.
"Yes, it won't be easy but we should not give up hope of qualifying
for the next round. It will not be easy but definitely not impossible.
Hopefully we will put in top efforts to get the win," the 17-year-old
said.
Doha: The draw for the 2025 Gulf Cup U-20 Championship placed Qatar’s national team in Group A alongside Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Yemen, while Group B features Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, and guest na...
Seoul, Korea Republic: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) wrapped up its 2025 Elite Men’s Refereeing Course on Friday, reinforcing its pledge to equip match officials with cutting-edge knowl...
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Medical Committee praised the outstanding success of the 8th AFC Medical Conference, which concluded on Friday, during its fourth meeting...