Basra, 12 January 2023 - Qatar’s stand-in coach Bruno Pinheiro said his team battled hard in their 1-2 loss to Bahrain at the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup in Basra, Iraq, on Tuesday.
“We played a good and enjoyable match. Both teams did well as both of the sides wanted to win,” Pinheiro said. “Bahrain achieved success by seizing the moment. As a bonus, they appeared to be in superior physical condition.”
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.”
With sights set on securing a place in the semi-finals, Qatar will play the UAE in their last Group B match tomorrow. About Qatar’s prospects of advancing to the knockout round, Pinheiro said: “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 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.”
