Qatar coach Bruno Pinheiro feels his side still has what it takes to go through to the quarter-final in the AFC U-19 Championship Indonesia 2018.
Qatar were edged out to a 1-2 loss on the opening day of the competition but Pinheiro is now looking at the Group A match against hosts Indonesia today.
“We still believe we will qualify, and if we play again like we did against the UAE then we can definitely go through,” he said.
“Against Indonesia we want to have the same quality that was there in our first match, but of course we want a different result this time around.
“It will not be easy, but we will do everything we can to win the next game. Indonesia have great support and some quality players, so it should be an excellent match.”
Midfielder Mohamed Waad echoed his coach’s sentiments, when he said, “We were a bit unlucky (against the UAE). We created chances but unfortunately the result wasn’t the one that we wanted and we hope that in the next match we will do better.”
Waad, who plays for Spanish Segunda Division B outfit Cultural y Deportivo Leonesa, added: “For sure, we are very confident that we can still qualify, and I hope that even winning the trophy is a possibility for us.”
Indonesia began their campaign on home soil with a 3-1 win over Chinese Taipei.
With Indonesia off to a winning start, Indonesia head coach Indra Sjafri feels there is still more to come from his young charges who could secure their ticket through to the knockout phase.
“I truly hope the likes of Egy (Maulana Vikri) and the rest of the team will improve even further in the next game,” he said.
“There was definitely some improvement throughout the friendly games we played before the tournament and I hope my players can carry that on going forward.
“I believe not only the likes of Witan and Egy have the potential to go far, but I truly hope many of the players in our squad can become stars if they perform to their potential in this competition.”
Elsewhere on Sunday, the UAE tackle Chinese Taipei. After seeing his side lose to Indonesia, Chinese Taipei head coach Vom Ca Nhum feels the East Asians must focus on their own game as they attempt to keep their campaign on track.
“Against the UAE we need to try and play our own game, to keep the ball and make the most of our possession. We will not change the way we play,” he explained.