QFA
Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez has urged his players to put aside the late heartbreak they suffered against Syria and focus on winning all three points when they face table-topping Saudi Arabia in Group B of the AFC U23 Championship on tonight Sunday.
After racing into a two-goal lead within the first 22 minutes of their campaign opener, Qatar were eventually forced to settle for a 2-2 draw after Alaa Aldin Dali struck deep into stoppage time to earn his side a share of the spoils.
Despite the last gasp disappointment, Sanchez believes the result will have little or no bearing on proceedings when they face a Saudi side who began their title bid with a win over Japan.
“Obviously it is hard psychologically when you lose two points after leading a match and we cannot be entirely happy with the way we drew with Syria,” explained the Spaniard who guided Qatar’s senior team to glory at last year’s AFC Asian Cup.
The encounter with Saudi Arabia represents another tough test for Qatar, one which Sanchez believes will require a different approach from his side.
“Saudi Arabia are a team which likes to dominate,” he said. “They represent another style of football which we will have to compete against. We will need to adapt [our approach] against them but remain intent on doing our absolute best.”