Qatar's Almoez Ali (right) in action against a Panama player during their Gold Cup quarter-final yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s star striker Almoez Ali said he was “proud” of team’s overall performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup despite a 4-0 defeat to Panama in the quarter-final yesterday.
The Asian champions failed to emulate their performance of the 2021 edition as a guest side when they reached the semi-finals of the tournament losing to eventual champions United States.
Coach Carlos Queiroz made wholesale changes in the squad for the Gold Cup leaving out several senior players including Hassan Al Haydos and Akram Afif to include young players in the team.
Al Annabi managed to get through a tough group stage after a stunning 1-0 victory over record eight-time champions Mexico. They were stunned 2-1 by Haiti in their opening match and played out a 1-1 draw against Honduras.
“Many players were playing at this stage for the first time. I was really surprised with their performance as everyone showed great commitment and did a great job. I am really proud of them,” Almoez, who returned for Panama match after missing the entire group stage due to injury, said yesterday.
“The team showed improvement after every match. But circumstances did not help us in the game against Panama,” he added.
Qatar missed several players against Panama including goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham, defender Tarek Salman, midfielders Mohammad Waad and Ahmed Fathi and striker Tamim Mansour Moftah due to suspensions after accumulating yellow cards.
Ismael Diaz’s hat-trick in the second half in the space of nine minutes sunk Qatar with Almoez saying the performance in the first half cost the team.
“We failed to take advantage of opportunities in the first half,” said Almoez, who was the leading Gold Cup scorer two years ago with four goals.
The tournament was seen by Queiroz as an important phase for Qatar preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in November and the Asian Cup early next year when Al Annabi will defend their title.
Qatar team’s technical director Tim Cahill said the players will benefit from their Gold Cup experience in the forthcoming assignments.
“We overcame a lot of challenges that helped us learn more about football and improve as a team,” the former Australian star said.
“We are still preparing the team and playing with a clear style and strategy. We are expecting to see the benefits of it at the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Cup. I am sure we will return stronger after learning a lot from this experience,” he added.
Cahill said after having a rest for few days, the players will rejoin their respective clubs preparing for the forthcoming season before returning to the national training camp.
