Qatar's Spanish coach Felix Sanchez (R) shakes hands with Yemen's Ethiopian coach Abraham Mebratu during their 2017 Gulf Cup of Nations football match between Qatar and Yemen at the Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad Stadium in Kuwait City on December 23, 2017. AFP /
Kuwait City: Qatar coach Felix Sanchez yesterday looked thrilled after his side produced a convincing 4-0 win against Yemen on day two of the Gulf Cup.
“It is a great start for my team. This was just what we were looking for when we arrived in Kuwait. This win will give us confidence going into our next game,” coach Sanchez said after the match.
“In the first 18 minutes, we scored the three goals. Besides those goals, we also created many chances to score more goals. They pressurized us for some time, but my players stood firm for most parts of the match,” the Spaniard said.
“We dominated in the first half and then in the second half, they split the attacks. But it was a match that belonged to us. My players showed their intention that they wanted to win this game. I am happy with their attacking game,” Sanchez added.
Yemen coach Abraham Mebratu said yesterday: “They played quality football and they deserved to win. We got a good lesson today. Hopefully we will learn quickly and get ready for the next match.”
He added: “We just had limited time to prepare for this match. We barely had 10 days to get ready for this tournament. But we have to now get ready for the other two matches we still have to play.”
Mebratu said: “In Yemen there is no league and our players lack international experience also. The time was short, and we were trying to prepare as best we could. Unfortunately, the goals we conceded in the first few minutes changed everything for us.”
