As defending champions of the AFC U-19 Championship, Qatar were in dire need to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage of Bahrain 2016.
At the centre of the young Maroons’ squad was the talented and eager No7 Abdulrasheed Umaru. Waiting patiently on the sidelines, the teenage striker entered the pitch at the Bahrain National Stadium in the 72nd minute with a single mission.
From his first touch, Umaru was a menace in the Yemeni defence. And after scoring the winner to eliminate Yemen from the AFC U-19 Championships Bahrain 2016, Umaru thumped his chest with pride before rushing to acknowledge his teammates.
“I could not have scored without the support of my teammates. When I came off the bench in the second half, my teammates gave me a lot of confidence and support and this was the only reason that I could score the goal,” he told the-AFC.com.
“Yemen is a good team and they have some individually talented players. We knew that it will not be an easy game and we will have to put our hearts out to get three points from this match,” he said referring to their opponents.
When asked about his team’s chances against formidable Japan in the final Group C fixture, Umaru said: “If the coach puts his plans well, as he always does, and puts up the best starting eleven, then anything is possible. We are not eyeing anything less than a victory, which will take us to the top of the group.”
“None of my teammates feel any kind of pressure as the defending champions. Everyone maintains calm and each one of us knows the role he has to play on the field,” he said on being held 1-1 by Islamic Republic of Iran in the opener and their struggle to find the net until late in this game.