Doha: Qatar fans believe their team can build on Friday’s impressive 2-1 win over Iran and go on to win the AFC U23 Championship.
Qatar bagged their second straight Group A victory thanks to goals from Ahmed Alaa and Abdelkarim Hassan either side of the break. Ali Karimi pulled one back for Iran late in the second half after captain Roozbeh Cheshmi had missed a penalty.
The victory followed Qatar’s opening day success against China, and has left the home faithful convinced that head coach Felix Sanchez’s charges have a glorious chance to capture the title on home soil.
“I felt Qatar played fantastically well. It was a perfect game [against Iran] and we looked solid in all departments. If our boys continue to perform like this, we can add the AFC U23 title to the U19 title. It looks quite possible,” declared Qatari fan Yaser Kharaz.
Abdullah Sultan, a business and economy student at the Qatar University, endorsed Kharaz’s views that it was a total team performance by Qatar, adding that he felt Akram Afif stood out.
“Akram was our perfect No.10. I’m sure that this team is going to the Rio Olympic Games. Six points from two games is very good, but we should beat Syria in the last game and top the group. We shouldn’t relax,” he said.
Australian supporter Anthony Hazeldine, who carried a Qatar flag and wore a white-and-maroon cap, explained: “I thought it was a fine display by Qatar against a strong team like Iran. Most of the players are products of the Aspire Academy and it showed in their cohesion. I found captain Abdulkarim Hassan very impressive. Assim Madibo too was good.”
Young fan Faisal Jamal said he believed Qatar full deserved all three points. “There were goals, a missed penalty, a late goal, some fine individual showing by both goalkeepers. Qatar were the deserving winners and I was very happy,” he said.