Qatar striker Akram Afif at the airport after reaching Phoenix from Houston.
PHOENIX, Arizona: Asian champions Qatar are brimming with confidence as they meet El Salvador in the first quarter-final of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup tomorrow, eyeing a place in the semi-finals.
Qatar, who are making their debut at the event, showed impressive performance in the group stage, qualifying for the knockout phase unbeaten following wins over Grenada (4-0) and Honduras (2-0) besides playing a thrilling 3-3 draw against Panama in their opening game.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 hosts, who are coached by Felix Sanchez, are yet to be defeated this year which makes them favourites against El Salvador, who they beat in a friendly 1-0 during their training camp in Croatia on July 4. The quarter-final will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona with kick off set for 2:30am Qatar time.
“We had previously played against them before the tournament during our camp in Croatia, and it was a friendly match. So we know our opponents, and they also know us,” Sanchez said ahead of the match.
“The friendly matches are just a test only, although, through that contest, we learned a lot about them. El Salvador at the current tournament have played good matches. Even in their last confrontation with Mexico, they were good. For this match, they will be strong, and we have to prepare well for it.”
The Qatar coach said his team is gaining good experience from the Gold Cup which is featuring formidable sides.
“We are satisfied with what we have done so far as we have displayed good performances in this event, and we hope to continue our progress in the tournament. We are lucky to be present and play in this tournament,” said Sanchez.
Abdelkarim Hassan (left) with team-mate Mohammed Waad.
Meanwhile, Abdelaziz Hatim, Qatar’s experienced midfielder, said his team is expecting a tough clash against El Salvador in the quarterfinals.
“We will face a solid team that plays smartly, and our task will not be as easy compared to matches we played in the group stage,” said Hatim.
“We were able to beat the same opponent in a friendly match before the tournament when we were in Croatia for a training camp, but we will not be misled into thinking that the game will be the same as the friendly was.
It’s a new day with different circumstances,” he added.
Under new Head Coach Hugo Perez, El Salvador have found their attacking stride and players like Jairo Henriquez and Joaquin Rivas have each found a goal thus far in the tournament, while Walmer Martinez has provided a spark off the bench, including with a goal in the group stage versus Trinidad and Tobago.
Qatar are also capable of setting off fireworks in the attacking third. No team scored more goals than the reigning Asian champions in the group stage, with nine goals as they took the top spot in Group D.
Almoez Ali already has two goals in the tournament and was the man that provided that winning score in the friendly versus El Salvador last month.
Meanwhile, Akram Afif has two goals and two assists and Pedro Miguel has a pair of assists as well, in addition to leading the team with most fouls received (8).
