Doha: Qatar will look to strengthen their chances of reaching the semi-finals of the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup when they face Yemen in their second Group B match at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah on Sunday.
Julen Lopetegui’s side began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over defending champions Bahrain, while Yemen suffered a 4-0 defeat against the United Arab Emirates in their opening match.
Despite Yemen’s heavy loss, Lopetegui warned his players against underestimating their opponents, saying Qatar must be prepared for a difficult contest.
“We expect a tough match against Yemen. In this type of tournament, we do not have enough time to recover and get back on our feet,” Lopetegui said.
“Therefore, we will deal with the players who are ready and prepare for the Yemen match, which will be a very important match for us. We expect to face a different team, and they have a coach with a lot of experience in dealing with this tournament. We hope to get another victory.”
Lopetegui also stressed that Qatar would not read too much into Yemen’s opening defeat.
“We are aware of everything that happened in the first match and we know that the Yemeni team lost by four goals, but the first match is completely over. All teams lose and win. We do not focus on what has passed,” he said.
“We respect everyone, and we focus on facing Yemen without looking at any other factors. We have not yet qualified and we have two important matches ahead of us.”
Qatar will face the UAE in their final group match on Wednesday, but Sultan Al-Brake said the team’s immediate focus was on securing another victory.
“We will try to come out in the best possible way and achieve victory because we must continue our victories in order to qualify,” Al-Brake said.
“We expect the match against Yemen to be difficult, and we are looking for victory and the three points. We are ready as players for the match, and we respect all our opponents. As I said, we expect it to be a difficult match.”
Yemen, meanwhile, will look to bounce back after their heavy defeat to the UAE.
“We suffered a tough defeat in the last match and we spoke with the players after the match. Before facing Qatar, we turned a new page with the players and we are striving to be fully prepared,” Yemen coach Noureddine Ould Ali said.
“The Qatari national team is a good team and is coming from participating in the World Cup, and we have been working for two years to bring about the required development in the Yemeni national team.”
Yemen player Rami Al-Wasmani said the team was determined to show a better performance.
“We seek to change the image we had against the UAE in the match against the Qatari national team. We, as players, have pledged to do so and to present a better performance,” he said.
“It is natural that we face Qatar under pressure. Pressure is a natural thing, and we will be fully prepared against Qatar.”
UAE will meet Bahrain in second Group B match later on Sunday.
