tribune news network
Basra
Qatar’s coach, Bruno Pinheiro, said on Tuesday that his team fought hard despite losing 2-1 to Bahrain in the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup.
Ahmed Alaaeldin scored the game’s first goal for Qatar in the 34th minute with a fantastic snap-header, putting the defending Asian champions up 1-0.
The defending champions, Bahrain, drew the game in the 72nd minute with an own goal by Qatar’s Mohamed Waad.
Bahrain took the lead in the 89th minute after Abdullah Yusuf Helal converted a penalty.
“We played a good and enjoyable match. Both teams did well as both of the sides wanted to win,” Pinheiro said to the QFA website.
“Bahrain achieved success by seizing the moment. As a bonus, they appeared to be in superior physical condition, “In his words.
When asked about the reason for the decline in the second half, the coach said: “The Bahrain team was superior physically. We were thoroughly defeated in most of our head-to-head contests. There are five players on our team who are playing in their second international game. And some of the others did not play full matches before. I am very proud of the players and what they did.”
Being asked about the national team’s prospects of advancing to the knockout round, he said, “I repeat that qualifying for this group is not easy, and it will be determined in the final round, and we will surely pursue it in the next match against the UAE.”
The coach concluded his speech by saying: “The present set of players needs to gain more experience, and this tournament is a wonderful opportunity for that. The team lacks experience, which is a natural thing, and mistakes are part of the game, and we hope we avoid them in the next match.”
With sights set on securing a place in the semi-finals: On Friday, Qatar will play the UAE in their last Group B match.
