Qatar face Egypt in play-off for third place match
Mohammad Amin
DOHA: Qatar coach Felix Sanchez exuded confidence ahead of Qatar’s play-off match for the third place against Egypt on Saturday.
Despite the 2-1 semifinal defeat against Algeria, Sanchez reposed faith his squad as the reigning Asian champions look forward to end their campaign on a positive note.
“The team showed great fighting spirit against Algeria,” said Sanchez at the pre-match press conference on Friday.
With the game heading towards the extra time after both the teams were locked 1-1, Abdulaziz Hatem committed a foul against Yacine Brahimi that gave helped Algeria score the winner from the spot.
“I cannot blame the players as they made every effort in the match. An individual mistake cost us the penalty. I will tell them better luck,” added the Spaniard.
Egypt is going to be a difficult side, but still the highly-spirited performances of the Annabis in the tournament should bolster their confidence.
“Now we will focus on the third place match and give our best effort to finish the tournament on a high note,” said Sanchez.