Qatar ready to take on hosts Uzbekistan

Qatar face a tough task to get their campaign back on track when they play Uzbekistan in Group A of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup at the Pakhtakor Stadium on Saturday.Nicolas Cordova’s boys were denied a victory by Iran, who equalised in the final minute of regulation time, in their opener and are on one point from the 1-1 draw. In their opener Qatar players showed that despite limited possession, they could still make the most of their chances and Cordova firmly believes his charges will get better as the tournament progresses. “As I’ve said before, we are working with a young team and are working towards the development of this team in this tournament,” said Cordova. “We will analyse Uzbekistan, and then analyse our own team and what we need to do to prepare for the next game.”Uzbekistan lead the group with three points, thanks to their 1-0 win over Turkmenistan and will be determined to continue their winning start against Qatar Uzbekistan’s victory against the young Maroons will see the hosts inch closer to a third successive knockout stage appearance. Uzbekistan recorded a thumping 22 total shots in their opener, but it took an Ulugbek Khoshimov penalty to seal the win, and head coach Timur Kapadzehas been concentrating on fixing that ahead of today’s clash at the Pakhtakor Stadium. “In football the opening game is always difficult but we will improve in the next match against Qatar,” said Kapadze. “We had a short time to prepare and I’m pleased with my players and I know that apart from our lack of finishing, we created plenty of chances.” The former Uzbekistan international is well aware of Qatar’s strengths but is focused on ensuring his team will be at their best.“Qatar may have drawn with Iran but they will be difficult opponents. In our practice sessions, we went through some drills on set-pieces so that we can better deal with situations.“What we must also improve is the players’ communication with each other. We can play decent football but I feel we can improve further with better understanding of each other’s movements during the game.”The match starts at 6.00pm Doha time.