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SPORT Monday 25 December 2017 PAGE | 25 PAGE | 26 PAGE | 27 Warriors’ De Villiers ready Pochettino hails win streak snapped for Zimbabwe ‘fantastic‘fan duo’ after by Nuggets and India Burnley rout Gulf Cup games to boost Qatari juniors ahead of AFC U-23 event, says Sanchez Rizwan Rehmat from their players - in a state of on our weaknesses. Kuwait City/The Peninsula shock. “We have to be ready. This “It was a great start. (In) the match is a very good lesson. We he younger players in the first 18 minutes we scored three have to bring the players up and Qatar squad are getting goals and kept on creating chances get them ready for the remain- They have a long way to go some much-needed for more goals,” Sanchez said. der of the tournament,” he match practice at the “After that they kept pressu- explained. and to improve. The kids ‘highly competitive’ Gulf rizing us but we dominated the “The Qatari players were bet- are working on the same TCup, coach Felix Sanchez has said. game. I think they split the team ter than us. They deserved to win. Gulf Cup squad members in the second half. They left a lot The important thing from this target, to represent Qatar Akram Afif (21), Al Moez Ali (21), of players in the front. Finally we match is we have to play the right way. Our Assim Madibo (21) and Ahmed scored the fourth goal and got our aggressively for the first 20 Moin (22) are some of the players deserving win,” Sanchez said. minutes. In the coming target is to be certain to appear for Qatar at the “Our target was to start well to match, we have to see match- competitive. AFC U-23 Asian Cup to be held in show we want to win the game. I we don’t make China next month. think in the first 15 minutes we mistakes.” That’s the goal for Sanchez, who manages the showed that. We will try to do that “We have to assess our players, Qatar’s Assim Madibo (top) vies for the Qatar U-23 squad as well, has again but we know it will be diffi- our performances especially the ball during the opening match of the Gulf tutored most of the national team cult. Every game is different. So really well,” the Yem- Cup on Saturday. players at the junior level. Sanchez many things have to be taken into eni coach youngsters: was the coach when Qatar won the account before every game,” he said. Sanchez AFC U-19 Asian Cup title in Myan- said. mar in October 2014. Sanchez said his players are in Injured Madibo The Spaniard also coached the top physical condition but he still Qatar squad at the FIFA U-20 has to wait for the latest report World Cup held in New Zealand in before finalising the squad for the ruled out of Cup June 2015. clash against Iraq tomorrow. “We have a mix of players here “First we need to evaluate the who are also in the U-23 group and players. I have to see their physi- The Peninsula that is good for this team and (for) cal condition. We will play a the one which will play in China,” different team (against Iraq). We atar suffered an unexpected setback Sanchez said with a rare smile on need to be in possession more yesterday when it was announced that his face following Qatar’s 4-0 rout and we know the next game will QAssim Madibo will miss the remaining of Yemen in their Gulf Cup opener be different because the qual- part of the Gulf Cup due to a back injury. on Saturday. ity will be different too,” he The 21-year-old midfielder was taken “They have a long way to go added. to a local hospital for scans, QFA said and to improve and to get the Yemen’s Ethiopian coach yesterday. experience. The kids are working Abraham Mebratu wore a The player needs rest to stage a com- on the same target, to represent dejected look after the match plete recovery. Qatar the right way,” Sanchez on Saturday. The prescribed rest means he will miss explained. “We had limited time to pre- the remainder of the Gulf Cup. “Our target is to be match- pare for this match. My players Madibo was injured during Qatar’s first competitive. That’s the goal for our lack the experience of interna- game against Yemen on Saturday during the players, especially the youngsters,” tional football. As you know we second half. Sanchez said. don’t have a league back home. We Ahmed Fathi replaced Madibo in the sec- “We got our target (on Satur- are trying to learn and improve. ond half as Qatar beat Yemen 4-0. day). Hopefully we will do the Unfortunately in the first 18 min- Madibo’s absence is a huge loss for the same in the next two matches. utes, we conceded those goals,” Qatari team, which is defending its title at After this (tournament), we will Mebratu said. Gulf Cup. continue in China and that’s good “The first big challenges for us A replacement has not been announced for the players who are getting is not to concede goals like this. but Qatar can call in a new player accord- good match practice,” he said. We played much better in the sec- ing to the tournament rules and Qatar fired three goals inside ond half. We still have two more regulations. the first 18 minutes leaving Yemen matches to go. We have to learn Qatar coach Felix Sanchez - known for individual brilliance from this match. We have to work Al Mohannadi Hassan relishing the challenge in Kuwait hails Qatar’s Rizwan Rehmat in the squad (announced by despite their young age,” to defend their title although explosive start Kuwait City / The Peninsula coach Felix Sanchez) which has Mohammed said. there has been an induction of a large number of young players “Some of them are playing new players,” he added. On the QNA tar defender Abdulkareem now,” the 24-year-old defender professionally and some of them Yemen match at the Kuwait Hassan is relishing the chal- explained. were with the team that won the Sports Club Stadium on Saturday, ice-President Qatari and Slenge of appearing in his Prior to the start of the Gulf Asian U-19 Cup so they have Hassan said: “We did not under- Asian Football Associa- second Gulf Cup, saying the Cup, Spanish coach Sanchez played under pressure and deliv- estimate them at any point. We Vtions Saud Al Mohannadi young players in the Qatar squad ignored veteran strikers Rodrigo ered. Qatar has a good mix of played a draw when we last faced congratulated the national team will also stand to gain in experi- Tabata and Sebastian Soria opt- young and experienced and we them, You have to respect their for Saturday’s win over Yemen ence once they are done with ing for captain and star striker hope to do our best and honour individual brilliance. But we in their opening match of 23rd their campaign in Kuwait. Hassan Al Haydos and Akram Afif Qatar football fans,” Mohammed played better in the match.” Gulf Cup. Hassan, who was member of to lead Qatar’s charge at the added. Mohammed said: “We arrived Al Mohannadi said that the the Qatar squad that won the eight-team event in Kuwait. Hassan, who was the skipper ready for this event despite the win was a good start but must 2014 Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia, “Despite having a young side, of the Qatar squad that featured doubts that were hovering be put in perspective as the has risen through the ranks we promise to make the maxi- at the 2016 AFC U-23 Champi- around the start (of the event). road to maintaining the title will rather quickly impressing with mum effort. These young players onship held in Doha, said Gulf We have entered the champion- be long. his feisty nature on the pitch with will go step-by-step to the end,” Cup rivals are giving greater ship strongly with this win. We He also stressed that the the senior team and at home club Hassan said. importance to Qatar as they have will try to maintain the intensity win will be a boost for the play- Al Sadd. Midfielder Ismail Mohammed landed in Kuwait as the defend- and we aim defend our title we ers to deliver even better “It is a good experience for - who was one of the star per- ing champions. won three years ago.” performances in the coming all of us but for our young play- formers in Qatar’s win against “We are aware that everyone He added: “In general, there matches. “What is more impor- ers, the Gulf Cup will be very Yemen on Saturday - echoed looks at us as the defending is no easy game and we have to tant than the result is to focus useful,” Hassan told reporters Hassan’s sentiments. champions but the team manage- enter every match as a final. We on continuing the good per- yesterday following Qatar’s 4-0 “We are confident that these ment do not want to put a lot of can’t be thinking about other formance in the future,” Al hammering of Yemen on (young) players will get the sup- pressure on them,” Hassan said, competitors but we need to focus Mohannadi said.