We really had to slog against Qatar: Renard

DOHA: Saudi Arabia’s French coach Herve Renard praised his players after qualifying for the 24th Arab Gulf Cup final.

The three-time champions overcame Qatar 1-0 in the semifinal at the Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday.

“It was a very difficult match, and we were not the best team tonight,” said Renard, whose side will face Bahrain in the final on Sunday.

Saudis, who bounced into the tournament after a shock 3-1 defeat against Kuwait in their opening game, walked away with a determined performance that saw them defend stoutly after Abdullah Al Hamdan had given them the lead in 29th minute.

“We really had to slog against Qatar, but deserved this victory,” added the former Zambia, Ivory Coast and Morocco coach.  

The Asian champions created plenty of chances, more in the second half when they fought tooth-and-nail for the equaliser, but the Saudi defence held firm.

“We did what we had on the field. We fought for 90 minutes with high spirit. But that doesn’t mean that Qatar was bad because they lost. On the contrary, we were very lucky,” he said.

The Green Falcons have last won the championship in 2003, and they would be looking forward to end their title drought in this regional competition.

“This is my maiden Gulf Cup. I’m happy that we’ve qualified, but we’ve to focus on winning the title,” said Renard, who guided Morocco to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.