DOHA (Qatar): Qatar face Yemen in their Group A match of 24th Arab Gulf Cup at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday.
The reigning Asian champions will hope to return to winning ways after their 2-1 defeat against Iraq in the tournament opener on Tuesday.
The setback also ended their six-match undefeated run since they kicked-off their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in September.
The kick-off is at 8pm (local time).
The hosts hasn’t lost a match since September, but struggled against the Lion of Mesopotamia in the Gulf Cup-opener.
Disappointing start
“We tried but things didn’t go according to our plan,” Sanchez said at the press conference on Thursday. “We will continue to work hard, and do our best against Yemen.”
“There is no easy match in the tournament. We expect a high competitive game tomorrow, but the players are motivated and prepared.”
Qatar currently lead the World Cup Qualifiers Group E with four wins and a draw, surprisingly lacked the spark against the Iraqis in the regional competition.
“The defeat against Iraq will always linger on our mind, but we’re determined to win against Yemen,” said striker Akram Afif.
Qatar had defeated Oman, Afghanistan (twice) and Bangladesh in the World Cup Qualifiers, but drew against India at home in September.
Draw will be a good result for Yemen
Yemen, one of the weakest teams in the competition, a draw will be considered as a positive result given the lack of football activities in their country.
“The suspension of sports activity for more than five years in Yemen has a direct impact on all national teams. Stability back home and playing more competitive games will give boost the team’s confidence,” said Yemen coach Sami Al-Na’ash.
But Sami acknowledged that the match will be a tough one for them.
“It will be a difficult match because both the teams have lost their opening games,” he said. “We hope to play well against Qatar.”
A defeat for either side in this Group A match will end their campaign in the competition as top two teams will qualify for the knockout stage.
UAE, the other side in this group, had defeated Yemen 3-0.
“We will be mentally strong against the Asian champions,” said Sami.
