The Peninsula
Qatari midfielder Abdullah Ali yesterday said his team will be playing for a win tomorrow when they face Ukraine.
On Friday, Qatar went down to Nigeria in their opening Group D match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup currently being played in Poland.
Ali, 20, urged his team mates to avoid mistakes made in their clash against Nigeria.
“Our start was not successful. We played against a strong side but that doesn’t mean we won’t compete well,” Ali said while talking to reporters following a training session yesterday.
“We were caught up in mistakes and I urge my team mates that we don’t commit the same mistakes,” he added.
Qatar, coached by Bruno Miguel, will meet Ukraine tomorrow, followed by a match against the United States on May 30.
“I know we will fight in our remaining group matches. Our coaching staff is trying their best to work with boys ahead of the next two matches,” Ali added.
“We want to reach the next round of the tournament and for that to happen, we must be win the next two matches,” Ali added.
Qatari defender Ahmed Alminhali, 20, had a word of caution for his team.
“All the teams here in Poland have to be taken seriously. There are no minnows anymore and everyone has genuine aspirations for the title,” Alminhali said.
Al Annabi are the 1981 runners-up of the event.
Coach Miguel said Qatar will regroup quickly after battling against ‘one of the best teams in the world’.
“We played against Nigeria who are one of the best teams in the World Cup,” Miguel said on Friday.
Nigeria are the undisputed kings of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where they have earned winners’ medals five times and been runners-up on three more occasions.
“The physical fitness differences were clear between the two sides. I have to say the pitch was not at the required level,” he added.
“We still have two matches to go. We fought well and our fighting spirit was good,” the coach said.
“We did not stop attacking despite the fact that we conceded goals. We remained positive and that is important,” the Qatari coach said.
“Abdul Rashid and Khalid played well. We would most likely give them more pitch time next matches.”
When asked about the future of the young players, Miguel said: “The 2022 FIFA World Cup is still some distance away. It is too early to talk whether these players would be there. I know that this is an excellent opportunity for them to compete against the best and learn from their experience.”
Nigerian midfielder Ayotomiwa Dele-Bashiru, scorer of the third goal against Qatar on Friday, said his team have arrived in Poland in an upbeat mood.
“We prepared well for the match, and we got our reward,” Dele-Bashiru, who is also part of the Manchester City U-23 team, said after the match. “We fully deserved the win, and I’m glad that we’ve brought our bad run of luck to an end.”
“I’m really proud of my goal, because it’s the first I’ve scored for my national team and it comes on my first official appearance for the U-20s. I’ve worked so hard to be here today,” Dele-Bashiru said with a smile.
“I think we could go far in this tournament,” said Dele-Bashiru. “We’re going to do all we can to keep this momentum going while making sure we keep our feet on the ground.
“We’ve got a strong squad whichever way you look at it,” the 19-year-old said. “We’re not lacking in individual talent either, and both those things lead us to believe we can achieve something worthwhile here in Poland,” he added.