+ A
A -
Maroons in must-win situation to secure a place in AFC C’ship quarter-finals
QNA/AFC
Jakarta
The Qatar U-19 team are set to take on Indonesia in their second Group A match at 2018 AFC U-19 Championship on Sunday.
Hosts Indonesia are currently leading the group with three points having defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1.
The first and second teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, which will be played on October 28 and 29.
The top four teams at the AFC U-19 Championship advance for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
Qatar coach Bruno Miguel started the team's training by explaining the players the mistakes they committed in the game against UAE, which they lost 1-2.
Miguel explained to the players several tactical options and urged them to adhere to the plan.
Qatar's game against Indonesia is a must win for the Qatari side in order to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Miguel feels his side still has what it takes to go through to the quarter-final, despite their 2-1 opening day loss."We still believe we will qualify, and if we play again like we did against the UAE then we can definitely go through," he said.
"Against Indonesia we want to have the same quality that was there in our first match, but of course we want a different result this time around.
"It will not be easy, but we will do everything we can to win the next game. Indonesia have great support and some quality players, so it should be an excellent match."
Meanwhile, Indonesia coach Indra Sjafri believes a bright future potentially beckons for several members of his squad.
The Southeast Asians began their campaign on home soil with a 3-1 win over Chinese Taipei which saw the dynamic Witan Sulaeman scoring twice and impressive midfielder Egy Maulana Vikri catching the eye at Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.
"I truly hope the likes of Egy (Maulana Vikri) and the rest of the team will improve even further in the next game," he said.
"There was definitely some improvement throughout the friendly games we played before the tournament and I hope my players can carry that on going forward.
"I believe not only the likes of Witan and Egy have the potential to go far, but I truly hope many of the players in our squad can become stars if they perform to their potential in this competition."