Qatar to face Palestine in AFC Under-23 Championship quarterfinals
CHANGZHOU, China, January 19, 2018 - Qatar coach Felix Sanchez believes his side's perfect record in the AFC Under-23 Championship group stage will have little bearing on Friday's quarter-final showdown with Palestine at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center in China.
Qatar registered successive wins over Uzbekistan, Oman and hosts China to finish top of Group A with a maximum nine points from the opening phase of the competition. However, despite Palestine only finishing as runners-up in Group B with four points to their name, Sanchez is under no illusion as to the size of the task that awaits his team.
"We are happy that we qualified from the group stage but obviously that does not count for the next game," explained the Spaniard, who guided Qatar to fourth place at the tournament's 2016 edition in Qatar. "It really does not matter if you have got nine or six points from the group stage, because it is just one (knockout) game. What matters is now.
"We know that from now on, each game could well be our last." With the likes of Akram Afif and hotshot striker Almoez Ali hitting form just when it matters, confidence is clearly high in a Qatar camp which faced the Palestinians in a friendly before both teams travelled to China.
Nevertheless, Sanchez believes he saw enough in Palestine's 5-1 thumping of Thailand on Matchday Three to suggest that Ayman Sandouqa's side will push his young charges all the way. "We are going to face a very strong team who had a very good group stage, especially in their last match (against Thailand)," he said.
"We have every confidence in our ability though, and we will try to play a good game as that is the only way we can get a result." Palestine, meanwhile, qualified for the last eight thanks to a win and a draw to seal second place in Group B, with their last outing against Thailand a sign, according to Sandouqa, that they are improving match by match.
"Of course, this match against Qatar is going to be a difficult one for us," declared the former Palestine Under-16 and Under-19 coach. "We have been working hard in the group stage to succeed and we have reached a point where we have been getting better and better.
"We are going to go into the game in a positive frame of mind and we are looking to get the win and go through. "We have been taking baby steps to reach this point. The match is going to be a difficult one for both teams. There is not only going to be pressure on Qatar as we are satisfied with what we have done so far, and are looking to progress even further."
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