Qatar players during a training session ahead of the match.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar were the first side to crash out of the FIFA World Cup and 13 months after their failure at home, Al Annabi can put smiles back to fans’ faces by becoming the first side to advance into last 16 at the Asian Cup.
The defending champions, who outclassed Lebanon 3-0 in their opener, can potentially reach the knockout with a win over debutants Tajikistan at Al Bayt Stadium.
They will also be assured of topping Group A, should China and Lebanon play out a draw in today’s early match.
Qatar have been in golden form in the tournament as they enter the tie with an eight-match winning streak including seven games during their 2019 Asian Cup title run, but coach Marquez Lopez warned Petar Segrt’s Tajikistan, who impressed in a goalless draw against China in their debut match, could pose a difficult challenge to his side.
“We’ll face an extremely tough opponent, and the match is not easy, we’ve thoroughly studied the opponent. The Tajikistan national team excels in rapid transitions from defense to offense, and we’ll minimize their threat,” Lopez told a pre-match press conference yesterday.
The Spaniard said his team is currently focusing on winning the group without thinking much about the opponents in knockout stage.
“We’re going to enter this match in order to achieve a victory. From the first day I’ve said that we have to take it one match at a time, we want to lead and we want to go to the second round, that objective hasn’t changed.”
In the last game between the two sides, the Central Asians were 2-1 winners 12 years ago.
Segrt backed his side to repeat the feat as he is targeting an upset in what he deemed a tougher challenge than what his side faced against China on Saturday.
“We respect Qatar as the champions and great hosts but for at least 90 minutes tomorrow, we must put that aside. We will try to achieve a good result and make a good impression, to try to get one or three points,” said Segrt.
“More important is how we behave and how we play our football. It’s not the character of the Tajikistan people to play defensive. So we will try to play our football but we must also respect that Qatar are stronger than China and they will also have their supporters behind them.”
The match will begin at 5:30pm after China and Lebanon will square off at Al Thumama Stadium at 2:30pm.
Group A - Tajikistan vs Qatar
Head to head: Tajikistan won 2-1 in their most recent men’s international fixture against Qatar (September 2012) and are set to face them at the AFC Asian Cup for the first time.
Unlucky debut: Tajikistan settled for a 0-0 draw with China in their first game at the AFC Asian Cup despite making 20 shots at goal on the day, the most of any Group A team on Matchday One of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
Impressive run: Qatar have won their last eight consecutive games at the AFC Asian Cup, including a 3-0 win over Lebanon on Matchday 1 of the 2023 tournament; only once in AFC Asian Cup history has any team enjoyed a longer winning streak (Iran – 13 games from 1968 to 1976).
Tough tackler: Alisher Shukurov (Tajikistan) won possession 11 times throughout the first matchday of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, the most of any player from Group A in the tournament and two more than Lebanon’s Alexander Melki (9).
Mercurial Afif: Qatar's Akram Afif has been directly involved in nine goals in his last four games in the AFC Asian Cup (3 goals, 6 assists) including at least two in each of his last three and two goals against Lebanon on Matchday 1 of the 2023 tournament.
