Of My Life’: Captain Al-Haydos

2Gulf TimesSunday, February 3, 2019FOOTBALLCOMMENTWinning Asian Cup a great achievement, says QFA presidentQNAAbu DhabiQatar Football Association (QFA) PresidentHE Sheikh Hamad binKhalifa bin Ahmedal-Thani said that Qatar football team had made a historicachievement after winning theAFC Asian Cup for the first timeever, saying this achievement isthe result of ongoing work andeffort of years. He said that astrong national team has beenbuilt to bring more outstandingsuccesses for Qatar in the 2022World Cup.In a press statement, SheikhHamad said that this unprecedented achievement was the result of a great work by officials inthe country, and a great effort tofurther bring more successes forthe Qatari football.He added that the Asian titlewin was deserved after preparing a strong and distinguishedteam under the supervision ofthe coach Felix Sanchez, whohas been in touch with the youngplayers for years. Sanchez ledthem to the Asian Youth Cupwin in 2014 and to qualify forthe World Youth Cup in the sameyear. His hard work with theseplayers and first team membersled them to succeed in the current edition of the Asian Cup andto claim the title.QFA president said the25-year-old generation is capable of achieving the best in thefuture, adding that these playerscould be boosted by other elements of the Olympic team or theyouth team, who will compete inthe World Cup in Poland in thecoming period.Sheikh Hamad congratulatedthe players and their team forachieving this historic Asianachievement, stressing that theplayers have presented excellentlevels throughout the tournament, and honoured their country and achieved a new glory fortheir country and made historyfor themselves.This achievement is a uniquepoint that adds a lot to the Qatarifootball on its way towards theWorld Cup 2022, he said, pointing out that Qatar has a group ofsmall elements that have beenequipped with great work to becomplementary to this generation of players in the near future.He stressed that preparing adistinguished team has been theirgoal since Qatar won the honourof organising the 2022 FIFA WorldCup nine years ago, pointing outthat they have been preparingteams and smaller groups to setthem on the path to success.QFA president revealed thatthe association plans to form aspecial Olympic team that seeksto reach the Olympics in Tokyo2020.He praised the players’ greatefforts and success in the current edition of the Asian Cup,especially after they beat formerchampions, including Iraq, SaudiArabia, South Korea and Japan,stressing that the next goal is tocontinue to excel and achievesuccess in Copa America in June.Concluding his statement, theQFA President congratulatedHis Highness the Amir SheikhTamim bin Hamad al-Thani onthe AFC Asian Cup victory.QFA President HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani (right) at the team’s arrival in Doha.FOCUSSPOTLIGHTAsian title just thebeginning for Qatar‘This is one step more to continue developing the team, to play anothertournament in the summer, and to be a competitive team at the World Cup’DPAAbu DhabiThe glittering gold confetti that heralded Qatar’s Asian Cup win onFriday had hardly fallenback to earth before the nextchallenge was being discussed.For most countries, winninga continental championshipwould spark days of celebrations and rewards aplenty forthe gallant coach and heroes onthe pitch.But most countries are notQatar, awarded a World Cup tohost despite having never qualified for the event and with virtually no footballing history tospeak about.Coach Felix Sanchez and hisplayers will, no doubt, indulgethemselves — they have, after all, more than earned it bybecoming the ninth differentwinners of the Asian Cup witha 3-1 triumph over Japan in AbuDhabi.But then it will be back towork.“This is one step more to continue developing the team, toplay another tournament in thesummer, and be ready for 2022,to be a competitive team at theWorld Cup,” said Sanchez.It is less than four years to thenext World Cup, and as hosts,Qatar do not need to qualify.This, however, is a doubleedged sword, with a lack ofcompetitive games a problemafter they play as guests in theCopa America this June.“We are working on [the] target [of the] 2022 World Cup,”said striker Almoez Ali, whoadded the individual honoursof top scorer and most valuableplayer to his winners medal.“We started now with theAsian Cup and managed to defeat Japan today. We’re preparing for it first with the CopaAmerica in Brazil — we’re notexpected to win that but just tolearn in football.“The weakest teams are inAsia — in the Copa America, wewill learn more, we know theteams there have a different level. We will learn a lot there thatwill benefit us as a team.”Ali is only 22 and one of 14players in Sanchez’s squad aged25 or under.Qatar’s rush to be competitivefollowing the World Cup awardin 2010 was initially counterproductive. Coaches changed rapidlyand there was little structure tothe development of players.Bit by bit that changed, aidedby substantial investment andthe long-term goal being placedabove quick fixes. The decisionto promote Sanchez, a longterm youth coach in the country, to the senior team was alsoinspired.The Spaniard has known andworked with the majority of thesquad for several years, many ofthem of since they were children.Ali is one example and withHistory-makerAlmoez setssights on 2022AFCAbu DhabiAlmoez Ali had no sooneretched his name in thehistory books of theAFC Asian Cup thanhe was already looking forwardto the next challenge that awaitshim and his Qatari teammates onthe road towards the country’shosting of the 2022 FIFA WorldCup.Ali’s nine-goal haul makeshim the most successful strikerat a single AFC Asian Cup Finalsever with his total surpassing thegreat Ali Daei’s record, whichwas achieved the last time thetournament was played in theUnited Arab Emirates in 1996.That tally saw him finish asthe AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019topscorer as well as claim theMost Valuable Player award, butdespite an impressive personalhaul, Ali is already setting hissights further forward.‘The Copa America isdifferent and we willlearn a lot from that. As ateam from the Gulf, thatwill help us to have a betterperformance in 2022.— Almoez AliQatar players and officials hoist the AFC Asian Cup trophy during a victory parade in Doha yesterday. (Reuters)Al Annabi players dedicate AFC Asian Cup title to Qatari peopleQNADohaQatari players dedicated their win in the2019 AFC Asian Cupto the people of Qatar and allresidents, saying they met theirpromise to return to Doha withthe AFC title.Qatari star Assim Madibo, whoexpressed his great happiness with the prestigious title,said it was deserved after theteam were impressive in all thegames, all of which they won.He added that the team arereally happy. He noted thatdespite all the circumstances,they succeeded in making theQatari people happy, and theira tournament record nine goalswill hog the headlines.Sanchez has continuallystressed the team rather thanthe individual with everyonedoing their job.Creative forward Akram Afif,21, was involved in an astonishing 12 of the team’s 19 goals inthe United Arab Emirates, including all three in the final —scoring a late penalty having setup the other two.“We have been together forseven years, I know Akram, wherehe will pass, and he knows what toefforts and those of the coachingand administrative staff resultedin this victory over the Japaneseteam, one of the best in Asia.Saad al-Sheeb, who was chosenas the best goalkeeper in thetournament, said that the teamdeserved to win the title aftershowing best levels amongall the teams participating inthe tournament and winningagainst big teams like the Iraq,Saudi Arabia and South Korea,as well as against the hostsUAE in the semi-finals.He added that they were expecting a tough game, but twogoals in the first half helped alot and gave the team strengthto continue. He said that theteam included 23 players eachgiving their all and even thosewho did not participate in thegames had a great role in supporting the other players.Abdulaziz Hatem, the Qatar national team player who scoredthe second goal against Japanwith a curling kick from outsidethe penalty area, expressed hisdelight with winning the AsianCup for the first time in his history, after beating the Japaneseteam. He said that this crowning is the best in his career,and in the career of the currentgeneration of Qatari nationalteam supporters, as well as inthe history of Qatari football.Hassan al-Haydos, the captain,expressed his great satisfactionwith the victory, saying thathis feelings and those of his colleagues are indescribable.expect from me,” Ali said. “We geton very well together.”Qatar defeated Lebanon, NorthKorea, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, SouthKorea, the UAE and Japan to liftthe trophy with a tournamentrecord plus-18 goal difference.They were undeniably the bestteam but, as Ali said, Asia is weak— only Japan made it out of thegroup stage at the last World Cup.South America is a differentproposition and facing Colombia, Paraguay and Argentina willgive a much better indicator ofjust how much work remains tobe done for this Qatar side.“[Their performance was] nota surprise for me, we knew Qatar can have a tight defence andstrength in attack,” said beatenJapanese coach Hajime Moriyasu. “They can move the ball andcreate chances, I think the headcoach is building a great team forthe World Cup.”Whether Sanchez gets thechance to stay in the post thatlong remains to be seen. Rumours have linked big-namecoaches to the job, and with theincentive of a home World CupAl-Haydos dedicated the win tothe leadership and the peopleof Qatar and all those whosupported the team during thechampionship, especially in thefinal, which was attended by alarge number of fans who stoodby the players, and supportedthem throughout the game.He added that all of his fellowplayers have been championsin this edition of the Asian Cup,praising the great role of coachFelix Sanchez, who read all thematches, which made it easierfor players, especially duringmatches against previouswinners Iraq, Saudi Arabia andSouth Korea. He added thatbeating Japan and winning thetitle was the biggest success intheir history.along with the ability to payhuge wages, Qatar face few restrictions in choosing their boss.That, however, was whereSanchez was happy to draw theline about the future.“I’m only thinking about today, it’s a great day for me, theplayers, and the country,” hesaid. “There can be news, thisperson, this person [linked tothe job] — we’re thinking aboutour work.“2022 is in three years’ time.In football you don’t know whatwill happen in two weeks.”“We are working on the targetof the 2022 World Cup and wehave started well with the AsianCup,” he said. “We managed towin (the title) and defeat Japanand for the next step towards theWorld Cup, we will be preparingfor that with the Copa Americain Brazil.“We don’t expect to get results but to learn more aboutfootball because we know theCopa America is one of the biggest tournaments in the world.The Copa America is differentand we will learn a lot from that.As a team from the Gulf, that willhelp us to have a better performance in 2022.”Ali has been in devastatingform through UAE 2019, alsoequalling the record of the mostgoals in one game with his fourgoal burst against DPR Korea inthe group phase, and his on-fieldrelationship with Akram Afif wasof paramount importance to hisnation’s first-ever AFC AsianCup win.As was so often the case overthe last month, it was Afif whosupplied the pass that allowedAli to set himself up for his spectacular opener in the final againstJapan and the Al Duhail forwardpaid tribute to his teammate.“For the first goal I had onedefender behind me so I knew Icould put the ball in any corner,so I tried to put it in the cornerpast the goalkeeper,” he said. “Itwas a nice goal.“Akram and I have been together for seven years and I knowwhere Akram will be and wherehe will pass and he knows whatis expected from me, so it’s normal after seven years that we getalong very well together.”Qatar head coach FelixSanchez, who worked with Alilast year when he finished as theleading scorer at the AFC U23Championship in China, praisedthe 22-year-old forward andstressed that he expected evenmore from him in the future.“Almoez is a fantastic playerand it’s a pleasure to coach him,”said the Spaniard. “He’s 100%committed and in each game hegives 100% and he reached thistournament in the perfect moment.”“We’re very proud of him. Hegot two awards that are very welldeserved. He got this because ofthe group, but he did excellentwork. It’s very well deserved andwe’re proud of him.“It’s not the first time that hehas shown this performance andlast year in China he was also thetop scorer, so he’s on the rightway and I’m sure he will be looking to do even better in the nexttournament and help the team.”A young fan clicks a selfie with Qatar’s Almoez Ali after the 2019 AFCAsian Cup champions arrived in Doha yesterday. PICTURE: NoushadThekkayil

Gulf TimesSunday, February 3, 20193FOOTBALLCOMMENTFOCUSWC hosts Qatarbox clever, punchabove their weightQatar conceded just one goal in Asian Cup and scored 19, winning all seven gamesAFPAbu DhabiComing from nowhereto win the Asian Cupis just part of the process for Qatar as theylook ahead to this year’s CopaAmerica and then the big one —a home World Cup in 2022.Felix Sanchez’s team arekeeping their expectations incheck for the South Americanchampionship despite snatching the Asian title from a lowlyworld ranking of 93.But it is hard to overstate theirachievement in going from zeropoints at the last Asian Cup totheir first continental title inrecord-breaking style.It also means that Qatar arefinally making headlines for theright reasons after the turbulence that has surrounded theirsuccessful bid to host the WorldCup.Almoez Ali’s bicycle kickepitomised a stylish win as itsparked Qatar’s 3-1 final victoryover Japan and broke Ali Daei’s23-year-old mark for goals atsingle Asian Cup.“I’m sorry for breaking Mr.Daei’s record,” a humble Ali saidafter scoring his ninth of thetournament.“I expected to score goals— maybe three or four — but Ididn’t expect to score nine,” headded.Fittingly for a team thathas punched above its weight,Akram Afif struck a boxingstyle pose as he celebrated thelate penalty that ended Japan’sresistance.Qatar conceded just one goalall tournament and scored 19,winning all seven games andbeating former champions Saudi Arabia, Iraq and South Korea,as well as Japan.They also thrived in a hostileenvironment in the United ArabEmirates owing to the ongoingGulf blockade, with their fanslargely barred from visiting andhome spectators pelting themwith shoes and bottles in thesemi-finals.The title raised the beguiling possibility of Qatar beingcrowned champions of bothQatar captain Hassan al-Haydos receives the AFC Asian Cup winners’ trophyfrom FIFA president GIanni Infantino and AFC president Sheikh Salman binIbrahim al-Khalifa in the presence of QFA president Sheikh Hamad binKhalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, players and other officials on Friday.Asia and South America, whenthey compete at the Copa America as guests in June-July.But Ali said the Copa was allabout learning for Qatar, continuing the methodical approach which has already paiddividends.“We’re not expecting to win,but just to learn because afterthe World Cup, the Copa America is the biggest competition inthe world,” Ali said.“The weakest teams are inAsia, Asia is the weakest continent for football so in the CopaAmerica we will learn more.“We’ll benefit a lot as a Gulfteam — this will help us have abetter performance in 2022.”After spending many millionsof dollars on their world-classAspire Academy, and scouringthe world for top coaches, Qatarare beginning to recoup their investment.HeadcoachFelixSanchez led Qatar totheir first Asian under-19 title in 2014,and they reached thesemi-finals at lastyear’s Asian under-23s— where Ali was also thetop-scorer.Afif clocked up a tournament-record 10 assists andformed a devastating partnership with Ali, underlining Qatar’s cohesion in both defenceand attack after years spentplaying together.“We’ve been together sevenyears so I know exactly whereAkram will be, where he willpass and he always knows whatto expect from me,” Ali said.“That’s normal after all thetime we’ve spent playing together. We get along very welltogether too.”Qatar’s win sparked jubilantscenes back home in Doha butfor the team, bigger goals nowlie ahead.“This is one step moreto continue developing theteam, to play another tournament in the summer and to beready in 2022 to represent Qatar in the World Cup,” Sanchezsaid.Qatar’s AkramAfif strikes aboxing-style poseto celebrate hislate penalty thatended Japan’sresistanceon Friday.(Reuters)From a record-breaking Qatar forward born who justcouldn’t stop scoring toa reluctant Kyrgyz sex symbol,AFP takes a look at five playerswho lit up the Asian Cup:FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLYQatar’s Almoez Ali scored aneye-popping record nine goalsat a single Asian Cup, surpassing Iran legend Ali Daei’s tallyof eight in 1996 with a wonderstrike in Abu Dhabi that sparkeda 3-1 upset over Japan in thefinal.The baby-faced striker hadplastic bottles and shoes peltedat him after scoring in Qatar’s4-0 semi-final victory overhosts UAE, but had the lastlaugh as the 2022 World Cuphosts went on to lift the AsianCup for the first time.The Sudan-born Ali hadbeen under investigation bytournament organisers afterEmirati footb

special Olympic team that seeks to reach the Olympics in Tokyo 2020. He praised the players’ great eff orts and success in the cur-rent edition of the Asian Cup, especially after they beat former champions, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan, stressing that the next goal is to continue to excel and achieve