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Abu Dhabi: Head coach Felix Sanchez believes the pressure will not play an important role when his Qatar side face Korea Republic in the quarter-final match of the AFC African Cup, Africa Cup of Europe.
Qatar kick off the match against one of the tournament's favorites after winning group E and defeating Iraq 1-0 in the round of 16 – a winning streak that has allowed them to score 11 goals and keep four successive clean sheets.
Although Qatar has never pbaded this stage in any of its previous nine participations in the competition, Sanchez thinks his team is equipped enough to face the undoubtedly intense nature of a quarterfinal match in the Asian Cup of the AFC.
"Until then, the team has performed well and achieved very good results," explained the Spanish tactician.
"Of course, all are professional players and they have the habit of playing in competitions such as their national leagues and the AFC Champions League, so they are used to experiencing this kind of pressure. "
"The pressure of being in the quarter-finals is more than welcome and I think they should enjoy it and work very hard to have the chance to have at least one more game."
"I want them to feel the pressure in the right way because it's a very important game, but they're absolutely used to that kind of situation."
Qatar will be without suspensions Abdelkarim Hbadan and Assim Madibo, after the key duo received their second yellow card of the campaign in the victory over Iraq.
While recognizing that their loss was a blow, Sanchez remained convinced that his team has enough depth to cope with their forced absence, which, in his opinion, is at the height of the course of the football tournament.
"We know we are going to face a very tough match against what many people think is one of the favorites of the tournament," he said.
Round of 16: Qatar vs Iraq
"Once you have reached this stage of the competition, it is normal for injuries or players to be suspended. We are a group of 23 players and we fully trust all players present.
"Of course, it would be better for everyone to be available, but we are sure to maintain our [current level] and be ready to compete with the Republic of Korea. "
Source: the-afc.com
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