‘100% sure about our chance’

QATAR still have a very good chance of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia, according to national team coach Jorge Fossati.

“I’m very proud of my players, our team spirit and positive attitude, and the effort everybody puts in to get the best results. We can’t dwell on the past. We can only work in the present to improve the future. I’m 100 per cent sure about our chance to qualify for the World Cup,” said Fossati.

The Uruguayan said it was a difficult task, but manageable.

“Everybody has been asking me about our chances. Why? Because we all know it’s tough. But we’re in a better situation now. We’ve four points. Before we didn’t have any.

“I know we’ve less number of games to catch up with the leaders. The group is very, very close. You can’t predict the result of any of the games. In the last round, Syria held group leaders and favourites Iran. The five remaining games will be really tough for us. But it’ll be the same for all teams. So it’s not only what we can get, but also the combination of other results,” he said.

Fossati said he always believed that favourable results from other matches were important.

“I’m aware right from the beginning that the qualification doesn’t depend on our matches alone. We need other results to go in our favour. But we also need to understand that points we drop are points gained for other teams.

“For example, we conceded a late equaliser against Uzbekistan. After losing to Iran, conceding twice in injury time, we were desperate for a win. Had we held the Uzbeks, they would’ve been on seven points and we on five now. That’s what I’m talking about,” said Fossati. 

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