Buoyant Qatar target last 16 spot with win over Tajikistan

Buoyed by a commanding performance in their opening match, defending champions Qatar will be looking to consolidate their chances to reach last 16 of the AFC Asian Cup when they face Tajikistan on Wednesday.Champions in 2019 at the tournament held in the UAE, Qatar beat Lebanon 3-0 in their first match on Friday in front of 82,490 fans at Lusail Stadium.That win was Qatar’s eighth on the trot following their seven impressive wins at Asia’s premier tournament four years ago when Al Annabi beat Japan in the final to become the continental champions.Should Qatar win against Tajikistan, and China-Lebanon tie end in a draw in day’s other match - the hosts will be assured of topping Group A.Qatar coach, Marquez Lopez, on Tuesday said his team will be looking for three more points at Al Bayt Stadium."We’re going to enter this match in order to achieve a victory,” Lopez said at a pre-match press conference with his young goalkeeper Meshaal Barshim in attendance. "They are a difficult opponent but we have studied them and we know that they have speedy players who can hurt us,” the Spaniard - who was roped in only last month - said."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. We have to use all the tools we have to score as early as possible but the most important thing is to be prepared and ready for the match,” Lopez said."Of course we all think about the games to come in the next round but we have to focus first on the next game first. If we win, it’s possible that we win the group then we’ll see who we might get in the next round.”Lopez will be hoping his chief strikers Akram Afif and Almoez Ali on Wednesday exhibit the promising form they used to deflate Lebanon. Afif scored twice while Almoez found the net once in the second half against Lebanon. Though Group A toppers Qatar appear poised for a repeat victory, they’ll remember Tajikistan’s surprise 2-1 win in their 2012 friendly, keeping the underdog Tajiks in the hunt.Lifted by their spirited draw against China on Saturday, Tajikistan plan to carry their offensive fire to the second round against Qatar on Wednesday. Head coach Petar Segrt, impressed by their gritty performance, on Tuesday expressed confidence in another audacious showing from his Central Asian underdogs."We respect Qatar as the champions and great hosts but for at least 90 minutes tomorrow, we must put that aside,” Segrt said on Tuesday. "We will try to achieve a good result and make a good impression, to try to get one or three points,” the 57-year-old Croatian added."We cannot go into a game to get one point, we will try our best. 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.”Tajikistan, the lone tournament newcomers, are riding high on the wave of confidence after snatching a draw against China, proving their debutant status no handicap. "Before we went into the first game, the players were thinking that they are happy to be here but after the performance we showed, they are now starting to think that they have a chance,” Segrt said."We had dreams two years ago to come to the Asian Cup, now we have a new dream, now we want to have the first goal in the Asian Cup.”Facts & FiguresTajikistan vs Qatar at Al bayt Stadium, 5:30pmHead to headTajikistan 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 debutTajikistan settled for a 0-0 draw with China in their first game at the Asian Cup despite making 20 shots at goal on the day, the most of any Group A team on Matchday One.Impressive runQatar have won their last eight consecutive games at the 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 tacklerAlisher Shukurov (Tajikistan) won possession 11 times throughout the match against China, the most of any player from Group A in the tournament and two more than Lebanon’s Alexander Melki (9).Mercurial AfifQatar’s Akram Afif has been directly involved in nine goals in his last four games in the Asian Cup (3 goals, 6 assists) including at least two in each of his last three and two goals against Lebanon last Friday at Al Bayt Stadium.