Qatar captain Wisam Rizq vies for the ball with Fayez Chamsin of Lebanon during their 2014 FIFA World Cup match in Doha yesterday. Qatar won 1-0 after Sebastian Soria scored the only goal of the match in the 75th minute.
DOHA: Qatar captain Wisam Rizq yesterday praised the planning of Qatar coach Paulo Autuori as the home team beat Lebanon 1-0 in a key 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
Striker Sebastian Soria found the net in the 75th minute as Qatar moved away from the bottom of Group A of the Asian Zone qualifying phase.
“The coach read the situation well. He made the right moves,” Rizq said at the end of the match.
“The match was not easy one. The second half was decisive,” he added. Rizq said the support of the home fans was crucial.
“We were playing on home soil, in front of home fans. That helped,” Rizq, who plays for Qatar Stars League (QSL) side Al Sadd, said.
Team-mate Hassan Al Haydos said: “We have good players. We tried to play attacking game and that helped. But thanks to our defenders, we won.”
Al Haydos added: “We tried many moves from the right (flank). My role was zero actually. The others played really well.”
Reda Antar, the Lebanese skipper, said Qatar goalkeeper Qasim Burhan was the difference between the two sides.
“The Qatari team was good. There’s nobody to be blamed for the loss. We played as a team.”
Antar added: “We tried to cover the gaps in the field but Qatari goalkeeper Burhan was very good. He made many saves. I hope Qatari team continues this form in the coming matches.”
The Lebanese skipper explained: “Qatar still has a chance. We need to improve our performance. Qatar fans supported their team well in this key game.”
Lebanon coach Theo Bucker said:
“We have to give credit to Qatar. I believe my team buckled under pressure. Short passing was needed whereas my players played mostly solo.”
He added: “However, we are improving. We have done well so far. This is the truth. We need to work harder at this level. It is not easy at this level.”
The Lebanese coach said:
“We were put under tremendous pressure and that’s why lost. If we had won, we would have been in a different position but that fear (of losing) gripped us. We cracked under pressure.”
Lebanon host South Korea in their next World Cup qualifying match on June 4, 2013.
THE PENINSULA
