Qatari players in action during a training session in Houston.
Houston: After routing Grenada 4-0 for the maiden victory at Gold Cup, Asian champions Qatar are aiming for a spot in the quarter-finals as they take on Honduras in their final Group D match early tomorrow.
A point against Honduras will ensure the Felix Sanchez-coached side, which have four points from a win and a draw, in the last 8 stage of the tournament.
Honduras, who are leading the group with six points, have already advanced to the knockout phase.
Coach Sanchez is satisfied with Al Annabi’s performance in the tournament so far that also saw them playing out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Panama besides a big win against Grenada.
"We have generated many chances,” Sanchez said.
“It has quickly given us more confidence and I think the game has continued in the same vein. During the 90 minutes, playing more in the opposite field and having very clear chances, we were able to score four and I think it was a fair result for us.”
The AFC Asian Cup champions are among the better generators in offense during the group stage with seven goals through two matches. In their second match, it only took them 11 minutes to get on the scoreboard.
While Sanchez is content with the win, he went on to stress that Qatar has yet to secure a spot in the next round. However, the team is very close to making it happen. It all comes down to the team’s match against Honduras. Qatar need only a draw to move on to the quarter-finals but a victory would see them finish first in Group D.
Qatar’s Abdulaziz Hatem said the team is confident going into the final group match.
“We are aware Honduras game will be a tough challenge but we like challenges. We are confident of giving a strong performance in the match,” said Hatem.
“We are playing the Gold Cup to get tough matches. We want to win against Honduras to go into the quarter-finals as group winners,” he added.
Al Annabi’s match against Honduras will kick off at 4am, Qatar time.
Honduras’ Romell Quioto is at the top of the current goal scoring charts with three to his name, while Qatar’s Akram Afif and Almoez Ali aren’t far behind with two goals apiece.
Those players should provide plenty of fireworks in a match to decide group bragging rights.
Meanwhile, Grenada coach Michael Findlay, following defeat to Qatar, said there was valuable experience gained at the tournament.
“We have to take these experiences and use them for the next time we get an opportunity to play in competitions such as this,” Findlay said.
“To play an Asian champion is an honor but it is also a wonderful opportunity for this program and for this team and for this country to put themselves out against the best that we have in global football. As it relates to playing against the powerhouses of Concacaf, that can only assist us in meeting our objectives and long-term goals.”
