Qatar went all out for a win against the UAE and was rewarded in the final group match with the 4-2 result, according to head coach Felix Sanchez.
“Our target was very clear in the first half. We wanted to score goals and win the match. A draw was never in our mind,” the Spanish coach told reporters.
“The match was full of attacking moves by both the teams. Six goals scored was a testimony to that,” Sanchez said.
Commenting on Afif’s performance in the match, he said: “It was a special day for him. He deserved the award of the best Asian player. I know him since 2006. He has produced great efforts in Asian Cup earlier this year also,” the coach added.
Iraq topped Group A with seven points after a goalless draw against Yemen.
Katanec satisfied
Iraq coach Srecko Katanec said the match was not easy for his team. “I am satisfied with the draw. Definitely, the red card for Mustafa and his dismissal earlier in the first half messed up the team strategies and the players were forced to do more tasks. Also, this affected our plan as we were seeking to save the players for the semifinal.”
“It is important we qualified without any defeats. The squad featured many young players including Qassim and Maitham, who are playing for first time for the national team,” the Slovenian coach said.
YEMEN COMPLETE ROUTINE
Yemen ended campaign by earning their only point as in the previous editions of the tournament.
Head coach Sami al Naash praised the players performance during the match. “Yes, Iraq played with one player less but our team produced a top match. This is the best by Yemen in the tournament. This experience is important for the Asian Cup qualifiers too,” he concluded.
Marwijk disappointed
UAE head coach Van Marwijk said the team fought well against a fancied Qatar.
“They are Asian champions and the players are together since many years unlike the UAE,” he said.
The Dutch coach said the team targeted a win in the match. “I was not expecting this result at all. We conceded many easy goals. Besides to that, there were five injured players but the team were always in the game.”
The UAE coach criticised the referee decision of not giving a red card for Qatar’s goalkeeper. Japanese referee Ryuji Sato gave a yellow card to goalkeeper Saad al Sheeb for a foul which saw UAE earn a penalty.
“I am surprised why he did not receive the red card,” Marwijk concluded.
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