Qatar coach Felix Sanchez has said he cannot blame his players after the Asian champions went down fighting against Algeria in the semi-final of the FIFA Arab Cup.
Qatar made a stunning fightback against the African champions, equalising in the seventh minute of stoppage time through Muhammad Muntari at Al Thumama Stadium on Wednesday night.
Algeria, who took lead in the 59th minute, got the last-gasp winning goal when Youcef Belaili scored from a rebound after goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb blocked his penalty.
“We did the difficult thing by coming back into the match with a late goal. It was a very challenging task but the team showed great fighting spirit,” Sanchez said while commenting on the 2-1 loss.
With the game heading towards the extra time, Abdulaziz Hatem committed a foul against Yacine Brahimi, handing Algeria a penalty that led to Al Annabi’s defeat in the thrilling match.
“I cannot blame the players as they made every effort in the match. An individual mistake cost us the penalty. I will tell them better luck,” he added.
The Qatar coach thanked fans for showing tremendous support for Al Annabi throughout their matches.
“We thank the fans who stood behind us and supported us in the match and all the matches we played in the tournament. I am disappointed because we disappointed our fans,” the Qatar coach said.
Qatar will now hope to finish third in the Arab Cup when they take on Egypt at Stadium 974, tomorrow.
“Now we will focus on the third place match and give our best effort to finish the tournament on a high note,” he said.
Qatari defender Bassam Al Rawi, meanwhile, said the team lacked luck in the dramatic semi-final as his team conceded a penalty just before the extra time.
“We did our best during the match, but we were not lucky in the last moments,” said Bassam.
The defender, however, hoped his team will come back stronger in the future challenges.
“We were unfortunate but it is part of football. We will have to forget the defeat and move forward by learning from our mistakes,” he said.
Qatar’s Ismaeel Mohammad apologised to fans, hoping for a victory in the third-position match.
“We played a great match but luck was not on our side. We were desperate for a victory in front of our fans. The support we received from them is indescribable and we apologise for the defeat,” the midfielder said.
It was a tough challenge: Algeria coach
Meanwhile, Algerian coach Madjid Bougherra expressed his delight after the North Africans reached the final after a “tough challenge” from the Asian champions.
“I am very happy to reach the final. It was a tough challenge from the home team but we knew it will be a difficult match,” said Bougherra.
The coach played down a spat among players from both the sides following Muntari’s goal in stoppage time.
“It was a difficult match for both the teams. Such things are normal in football given its sensitivity, difficulty and importance,” he said.
The 39-year-old said his team is focusing on tomorrow’s final against Tunisia, who edged past Egypt after a last-gasp own goal.
“Our last three matches were very tough. We played tough matches against Egypt, Morocco and Qatar. The team showed great determination in those difficult matches. It is going to be another tough match for us and we will prepare for that well,” he said.
“Our recent experience of playing against top sides of the tournament will help us,” Bougherra added.
Algeria’s Djamel Benlamri said: “It is a huge match because both teams will be eyeing glory. It is another tough test for us but we will prepare for it appropriately.”
