The Peninsula
Qatar U17 coach Ibrahim Al Shafei has said a successful qualifying campaign for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2023 is just the first step as he reposed confidence in his ranks to shine in the Finals next year.
The national youth side displayed a dominant show in the Qualifiers, topping Group C after an unbeaten campaign to confirm their berth in the next year’s continental event.
The Qatari colts defeated Iraq, Oman and Lebanon besides playing a draw against Bahrain. The team capped their brilliant show with a 4-1 thumping over Lebanon on Sunday.
Coach Al Shafei, who was proud of his team’s performance in the Qualifiers, said this team has to achieve a lot in the future.
“I tell my boys that this is only the start. We have completed our first step, and we have many steps remaining in the near future, starting with the AFC U17 Asian Cup finals,” he was quoted as saying on the Qatar Football Association (QFA) website after team’s successful run in the Qualifiers.
“A big future awaits these players. They must work hard and persevere on every small detail to improve both individually and as a group, and also focus on the mental aspect on and off the pitch. One step is done, but more essential steps remain ahead of us,” Al Shafei added.
The qualifying stage, which concluded on Sunday, saw 16 teams confirming their berths in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2023 Finals. The Qatar coach said the team will now target a top four finish in the tournament.
“We look forward to competing in the AFC U17 Asian Cup finals, not just participating. As we showed everyone, the team’s level bodes well for the future, and we are going to the AFC U17 Asian Cup to compete for one of the top four spots that will take us to the U17 World Cup. This is what we want, it’s our target, and we hope we can achieve it,” said Al Shafei.
Commenting on the qualifying campaign, the coach said a strong start helped Qatar to top a tough group.
“We were in a difficult group with some Gulf teams like Oman, Bahrain, Iraq and also Lebanon. There were multiple favourites to go through as group winners,” he said.
“When we won our first game against a solid Iraqi side, it was a very strong start for us, even after the draw with Bahrain in the second game. We were all confident that we could come back, and we came back very strongly against Oman, and we completed our task in a big way against Lebanon. When you win against Iraq, Oman and Lebanon and draw with Bahrain, I think it’s a very successful campaign. We didn’t have many negatives,” the coach added.