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IKOLI VICTOR
Doha
Qatar and Oman are poised for a winner-takes-it-all encounter on Tuesday to decide the winners of AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020 qualifying Group A, after both sides continued their winning starts to the competition on Sunday.
The match will take place at Aspire Pitch 5 from 7pm.
Qatar had produced a five-star performance against Nepal with two sensational second-half goals from Bassam al Rawi, who added to his rapidly-growing reputation with a superb individual performance. The Asian Cup star will be at the heart of Qatar’s defence when they take on the Omanis, who edged Afghanistan 2-1 in their second match.
With both sides tied at six points, Qatar’s superior goal difference means Albert Caballeria’s side will need only a draw against Oman to secure direct qualification, while Nepal, now eliminated, will play for pride against Afghanistan.
Coach Caballeria has declared nothing short of victory will be the target for his players.
“We know Oman will be a tough match as it determines who wins the group and we will play for victory to secure direct qualification for the final tournament in Thailand in 2020.
“The players of Qatar’s U-23 team are well-prepared and highly motivated to give their best and use the home advantage.
“We are ready for the match and I am confident the players will put in a decent performance and we hope that many fans find the time to come and support us at our games,” Cabellaria added.
On his part, star player Bassam al Rawi said, “The target is to qualify for AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020 finals and subsequently, qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympics so the competition here has been fierce.
“We will play for victory against Oman and nothing less. They are a good team but we have the team to take the result.”
Qatar may start with the same line-up but for striker Hassan Ahmad who suffered an injury. His place may be taken by Abdulrasheed Umaru, who had a quiet half-hour in the game’s second period.
For Hamed al Azani’s Oman, they have a characteristic of wastefulness in front of goal which is why they have scored just three with over a dozen chances missed.
Against a disciplined Qatar team, their chances may be limited and restricted which puts them in a position of playing under pressure.
Whatever happens, the match is expected to be action-packed with both teams going at each other for the desired result.
The 11 group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts Thailand receiving automatic qualification.
In the event of Thailand finishing among the qualified teams to the finals (either top of the group or one of the four best second-placed teams), the next (fifth) second-placed team among all groups will qualify instead.AFC U-23 Qualifiers
Today’s FixturesDPR Korea vs Hong Kong
Timor-Leste vs Macau
Turkmenistan vs Yemen
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Laos vs Philippines
Uzbekistan vs Tajikistan
Korea Republic vs Australia
Indonesia vs Brunei Darussalam
Singpaore vs Mongolia
Jordan vs Syria
Lebanon vs Maldives
Japan vs Myanmar
Iran vs Iraq
Qatar vs Oman
Palestine vs Bahrain
Nepal vs Afghanistan
Vietnam vs Thailand
Cambodia vs Chinese Taipei
Kyrgyz Republic vs Kuwait
Saudi Arabia vs UAE
Malaysia vs China.
Doha
Qatar and Oman are poised for a winner-takes-it-all encounter on Tuesday to decide the winners of AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020 qualifying Group A, after both sides continued their winning starts to the competition on Sunday.
The match will take place at Aspire Pitch 5 from 7pm.
Qatar had produced a five-star performance against Nepal with two sensational second-half goals from Bassam al Rawi, who added to his rapidly-growing reputation with a superb individual performance. The Asian Cup star will be at the heart of Qatar’s defence when they take on the Omanis, who edged Afghanistan 2-1 in their second match.
With both sides tied at six points, Qatar’s superior goal difference means Albert Caballeria’s side will need only a draw against Oman to secure direct qualification, while Nepal, now eliminated, will play for pride against Afghanistan.
Coach Caballeria has declared nothing short of victory will be the target for his players.
“We know Oman will be a tough match as it determines who wins the group and we will play for victory to secure direct qualification for the final tournament in Thailand in 2020.
“The players of Qatar’s U-23 team are well-prepared and highly motivated to give their best and use the home advantage.
“We are ready for the match and I am confident the players will put in a decent performance and we hope that many fans find the time to come and support us at our games,” Cabellaria added.
On his part, star player Bassam al Rawi said, “The target is to qualify for AFC U-23 Championship Thailand 2020 finals and subsequently, qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympics so the competition here has been fierce.
“We will play for victory against Oman and nothing less. They are a good team but we have the team to take the result.”
Qatar may start with the same line-up but for striker Hassan Ahmad who suffered an injury. His place may be taken by Abdulrasheed Umaru, who had a quiet half-hour in the game’s second period.
For Hamed al Azani’s Oman, they have a characteristic of wastefulness in front of goal which is why they have scored just three with over a dozen chances missed.
Against a disciplined Qatar team, their chances may be limited and restricted which puts them in a position of playing under pressure.
Whatever happens, the match is expected to be action-packed with both teams going at each other for the desired result.
The 11 group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with hosts Thailand receiving automatic qualification.
In the event of Thailand finishing among the qualified teams to the finals (either top of the group or one of the four best second-placed teams), the next (fifth) second-placed team among all groups will qualify instead.AFC U-23 Qualifiers
Today’s FixturesDPR Korea vs Hong Kong
Timor-Leste vs Macau
Turkmenistan vs Yemen
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
Laos vs Philippines
Uzbekistan vs Tajikistan
Korea Republic vs Australia
Indonesia vs Brunei Darussalam
Singpaore vs Mongolia
Jordan vs Syria
Lebanon vs Maldives
Japan vs Myanmar
Iran vs Iraq
Qatar vs Oman
Palestine vs Bahrain
Nepal vs Afghanistan
Vietnam vs Thailand
Cambodia vs Chinese Taipei
Kyrgyz Republic vs Kuwait
Saudi Arabia vs UAE
Malaysia vs China.
