Qatari under-19 players in action during a practice session in Bogor, Indonesia yesterday, ahead of their AFC U-19 semi-final match against South Korea which will be played today.
Bogor, Indonesia: Qatar head coach Bruno Pinheiro has called on Qatar to remain focused on winning the title despite enjoying the FIFA 2019 U-20 World Cup qualification as they face South Korea in the AFC U-19 semi-final today.
The Qatari youngsters made it to the semi-finals in Indonesia following a dominant 7-3 win over Thailand that also saw them book a spot at next year’s global spectacle which will be held in Poland.
“It is sometimes normal for a team to relax a little after qualifying for something such as a World Cup,“ the Portuguese tactician said yesterday.
“We will not be relaxing though. Of course, it was important for us to reach the World Cup so that we could pit ourselves against the planet’s best players and coaches, but this team has the potential to go even further (in this competition),” Pinheiro said ahead of today’s crunch tie.
“It is now a question of preparing the team both physically and mentally. We always want to win every game we play, and I am not expecting anything different from my team against Korea Republic,” he said.
High scoring games have been a feature of Qatar’s campaign thus far, with a 6-5 group stage defeat of Indonesia and a 7-3 win in the quarter-finals amongst their successes.
With the Qataris just two wins away from repeating their 2014 title success, Pinheiro is adamant however that his side’s approach will not change in the semi-finals where they will be without the suspended Ahmed Suhail.
“Korea Republic are a difficult team, and it will be a very tough game for us, but we will play our usual brand of football, which is to have the ball as much as possible and to make the most of our possession in the final third,” Pinheiro said.
“We are not about to change our approach. It really does not matter if you win 5-4 or if you win 1-0. The most important thing is to win.”
Meanwhile, South Korea’s head coach Chung Jung-yong has urged Korea Republic to take a confident approach into today’s semi-final.
Chung’s talented charges are set to face the West Asians after topping Group C and then seeing off Tajikistan in the quarter-finals – a win which guaranteed them a place at next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup.
With Korea Republic’s initial target already achieved, Chung is hoping for even greater things from his side as they continue their hunt for what would be a 13th AFC U-19 Championship title.
“My players have been under a lot of pressure during this tournament, but I believe now is the time for them to approach the game with more confidence rather than be affected by any pressure,” he said ahead of the encounter at Bogor’s Pakansari Stadium.
“I think that the situation has told on us at times, and because of it we have not always played as well as we know we can. Nevertheless, we have reached the semi-finals, so I hope my team will forget about the pressure surrounding the game and do their very best against Qatar.
“The first goal for all the teams here was obviously to qualify for the World Cup. Now we have done that, the game against Qatar is not only a crucial semi-final, but also the first step in our preparation for the World Cup.”
Korea Republic’s plans will not, however, include striker Oh Se-hun who is serving a one-match ban after picking up yellow cards against Vietnam and Tajikistan.
Despite the 19-year-old’s absence, Chung believes the Koreans have enough quality in reserve to cope, and is viewing the chance to utilise alternative personnel as a distinct positive.
“Our players are still young, and they have been preparing for a long time for this competition both back home and here in Indonesia. We have some of the squad who are taking more time to recover after the last match, some who are carrying knocks and one who is suspended,” he explained.
“There are also, of course, players who have not had an opportunity to feature much, this is therefore a great opportunity for them to do just that.
“Indeed, when these players perform, and perform well, we can definitely improve as a team.”
