Tarek Salman (left) celebrates with a teammate.
Doha, Qatar: Tarek Salman said Qatar’s equaliser just before half time was the turning point as the defending champions edged Palestine 2-1 to seal their place in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 quarter-finals on Monday.
The host nation survived a tough test from Palestine, who took the lead before succumbing to goals from Hassan Al-Haydos and Akram Afif either side of the break.
“It was not an easy game and Palestine proved to be a very tough opponent, so we are happy to win,” said Salman. “I would like to thank the fans for showing up and supporting us from start to finish.
“The team is thankful to have qualified for the quarter-finals and now we will work towards continuing to move ahead. Although it was a tough game, once we enter the knockout stage, the most important thing is to win and not how we perform.”
Reflecting on the team’s cagey start, Salman admitted that conceding was due to a lapse in concentration, with Palestine’s Oday Dabbagh the first to score against Qatar at this edition of the continental showpiece.
“The goal we conceded was due to a momentary break in our focus. But thankfully, we were able to get back into the game and equalise. That was the turning point in the game, and of course, getting the second goal early after the break also helped a lot.”
The defender said that now that the jitters of their first knockout stage tie had been overcome, there would be renewed energy in the squad, with Qatar to meet either Uzbekistan or Thailand next on Saturday.
“I thought we played really well and what is crucial is that we got the much needed win. Now, Qatar are through to the last eight and the team is feeling happy and confident and, hopefully, this win will help us play even better in the next game.”
