Doha: Asian champions Qatar will meet Bahrain on Tuesday eyeing their second consecutive victory in Group B of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup at Al Minaa Olympic Stadium in Basra.
Qatar and defending champions Bahrain registered victories in their opening matches and a win for either side will take them top of the group and closer to the semi-finals of the eight-nation tournament.
Al Annabi comprising mostly the youngsters were impressive during their 2-0 victory over 10-time champions Kuwait but coach Bruno Pinheiro warned of a different challenge against Bahrain, who edged the UAE in their first match.
“Bahrain are a tough side under a good coach. It is going to be a different task for us,” Pinheiro told a pre-match press conference yesterday.
Qatar will return to action after a two-day break and Pinheiro said the team management worked on players’ recovery during the gap.
“We focused on physical and mental readiness of players and watched videos of Bahrain matches to prepare for the game in which we are targeting a win.”
Al Annabi underwent a 10-day training camp in Doha to prepare for the tournament after the team management made several changes in the squad that took part in the FIFA World Cup.
The coach said the opening win gave a good momentum to the side after short preparations for the tournament.
“The victory was very important for the players. A second consecutive win would be great and we are focusing on it,” said Pinheiro.
The coach also expressed his content over support his team is receiving in Iraq.
“The support is motivating us more to do well and I want to thank Iraqi fans for backing the Qatari side,” he said.
Sitting alongside the coach, Qatar goalkeeper Meshal Barsham, who also featured in the World Cup, said the team is aiming for a win.
“But it is not an easy match. Bahrain are a good side and they are also the defending champions but we will do our best in the match to get the desired results,” he said.
Bahrain coach Helio Sousa, meanwhile, described Qatar as a formidable team hoping his side will continue the winning run.
“We face a strong side which have talented youngsters as well as experienced players. Their players have participated in major tournaments like the World Cup and Copa America. But we trust in ourselves and we will play to win,” he said yesterday.
“We managed to win our first match and starting a tournament with a victory is always important. Our next target is Qatar and we are well prepared for the match,” he added.
Bahrain forward Jassim Al Sheikh said: “We know the strengths and weaknesses of Qatar and we are ready for the match after recovering from the first match,” he said.
The match will kick off at 7:15pm after the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait will face off at the same venue at 4:15pm in other Group B match.
