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Who: Iran vs Qatar
What: AFC Asian Cup 2023 semifinal
When: Wednesday, February 6, 2024, 6pm (15:00 GMT)
The place: Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Qatar coach Tintin Marquez Lopez says his facet will face their “hardest take a look at” within the defence of their Asian Cup crown after they face Iran within the semifinals on Wednesday.
The Spaniard has bemoaned the dearth of time since their quarterfinal victory towards Uzbekistan on Saturday, wherein the Maroons survived a scare after additional time and penalties.
“If we discuss preparation for the sport, it was a really brief time,” he stated. “We had solely two days to arrange.
“The sport would be the hardest match of the match for us.”
Qatar had been unbeaten within the victorious 2019 marketing campaign and are but to style defeat on this version. Certainly, the draw after additional time with Uzbekistan was the primary time they did not win a match within the 2023 match.
‘We hope to deliver pleasure to our followers’
Tarek Salman returned to the defence for Qatar within the quarterfinals, having been named among the many substitutes within the 2-1 spherical of 16 victory towards Palestine.
The defender echoed the ideas of his supervisor that the restoration time is a priority and that those that performed within the Uzbekistan win are feeling fatigued. However he hopes the event can carry the staff.
“Everybody is happy; towards Iran it will likely be bodily,” Salman stated.
“They’ve stars who play in huge leagues in Europe so we’re motivated 200 p.c.
“We hope to deliver pleasure to our followers.”
• Ardour , Love , Consider , Work
The key recipe of #AlAnnabi success 🇶🇦🤍#WinAsOne#AsianCup2023 pic.twitter.com/764OvGrpBR— Qatar Soccer Affiliation (@QFA_EN) February 3, 2024
Iran midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, in the meantime, has raised doubts in regards to the AFC appointing an Arab referee for his or her Asian Cup semifinal conflict towards the hosts and defending champions
Wednesday’s semifinal will likely be officiated by Kuwait’s Ahmad Al-Ali, who has taken cost of two group video games and a last-16 tie on the match.
“What’s a bit bit stunning for us is that the referee for the match is from Kuwait, he’s an Arab,” Ezatolahi informed reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re simply questioning the way it’s doable that they put an Arab as a referee for the match.
“However we’re the Iran nationwide staff, we’re a really huge staff. Now we have superb gamers, we’re skilled.”
Iran reached the semifinals after they beat Asia’s top-ranked facet Japan 2-1 regardless of themselves having solely two days to get better after their last-16 tie towards Syria went to additional time and penalties.
Ezatolahi, like Lopez and Tarek, has criticised the dearth of restoration time within the knockout stage.
“On this match, the gamers didn’t have sufficient time to get better, particularly within the knockout stage,” he stated.
“Most of the gamers got here straight from their golf equipment and are underneath a variety of stress right here.”
The #AsianCup2023 SEMI-FINALISTS!
🇯🇴🇰🇷🇮🇷🇶🇦#HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/itn7JTTx9Q
— AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 (@Qatar2023en) February 3, 2024
‘Now we have to be stronger than all the pieces occurring’
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei reiterated the remaining interval being “lower than 72 hours” earlier than they confronted Japan whereas he additionally took a shot on the video assistant referee (VAR).
“On this match at the very least, I can say that VAR was not very form to us. We had a scenario within the match towards Japan that would have been a penalty on Sardar Azmoun, however VAR didn’t test it for us,” he stated.
“However we have now to be stronger than all the pieces that’s occurring at this match.”
Iran beat Qatar 4-0 in October, however Ghalenoei urged his staff to overlook about earlier outcomes as they search a spot of their first remaining since they gained their third title in 1976.
“When Qatar reached the semifinals, they confirmed their high quality, so we have to overlook our consequence towards Qatar and overlook our efficiency towards Japan. That belongs to historical past now,” he stated.
“We have to present extra high quality and we have now to cowl extra distance in contrast with the match towards Japan. I hope we are able to attain the ultimate after almost 50 years. I’ve huge perception in our gamers.”
Type
Jordan have misplaced as soon as on the match already after they went right down to Bahrain within the group stage match. Nevertheless, they do have three wins to South Korea’s two. The final two wins had been inside 90 minutes, the place the Koreans required additional time of their two knock-out video games to this point.
Qatar: W W W W W
Iran: W W W W W
Qatar staff information
Qatar have a completely match squad to select from, bar for a slight concern over backup keeper Salah Zakaria.
Predicted XI: Meshaal Barsham, Pedro Miguel, Mohammed Waad, Lucas Mendes, Almoez Ali, Tarek Salman, Jassem Gaber, Hassan Al-Haydos, Akram Afif, Ali Asad, Ahmed Fathi
Iran staff information
Iran welcome again one in all their star gamers after Mehdi Taremi missed their quarterfinal conflict via suspension.
Sadegh Moharrami is ready to overlook out with a cruciate ligament harm, whereas Majid Hosseini is battling a sore ankle.
Predicted XI: Alireza Beiranvand, Ramin Rezaeian, Milad Mohammadi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Hossein Kanani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Sardar Azmoun, Mehdi Taremi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Mohebi
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