Qatari under-19 players taking part in a practice session on the eve of their AFC U-19 Championship match against hosts Indonesia in Jakarta yesterday.
Jakarta, Indonesia, Qatar under-19 coach Bruno Miguel yesterday lauded the performance of his side, saying they played ‘quality football despite their narrow loss against UAE in the Group A opener of the AFC U-19 Championship.
Miguel feels his side still has what it takes to go through to the quarter-final of the tournament which is being held in Indonesia.
Qatar will get the chance to redeem themselves when they take on the hosts at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium today.
“We still believe we will qualify, and if we play again like we did against the UAE then we can definitely go through,” he said.
“Against Indonesia we want to have the same quality that was there in our first match, but of course we want a different result this time around,” Miguel said.
“It will not be easy, but we will do everything we can to win the next game. Indonesia have great support and some quality players, so it should be an excellent match,” he said.
On the other hand, Indonesia coach Sjafri feels there is still more to come from his young players following their winning start. They could secure their ticket through to the knockout phase with another three-point haul.
Despite the victory against Chinese Taipei taking Indonesia to the top of the Group A standings, Sjafri remains adamant that there is still work to be a done – starting with the game against Qatar.
“The win was something we should be grateful for, as it could help determine our chances of progressing. Nevertheless, we must prepare well for the match with Qatar whose defeat to the United Arab Emirates proved that absolutely anything can happen in football.”
