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 check” 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 further time and penalties.
“If we discuss preparation for the sport, it was a really quick time,” he stated. “We had solely two days to arrange.
“The sport would be the hardest match of the event for us.”
Qatar have been unbeaten within the victorious 2019 marketing campaign and are but to style defeat on this version. Certainly, the draw after further time with Uzbekistan was the primary time they didn’t win a match within the 2023 event.
‘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 group.
“Everybody is happy; towards Iran it is going to be bodily,” Salman stated.
“They’ve stars who play in large leagues in Europe so we’re motivated 200 %.
“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 might be officiated by Kuwait’s Ahmad Al-Ali, who has taken cost of two group video games and a last-16 tie on the event.
“What’s somewhat bit stunning for us is that the referee for the match is from Kuwait, he’s an Arab,” Ezatolahi advised reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re simply questioning the way it’s attainable that they put an Arab as a referee for the match.
“However we’re the Iran nationwide group, we’re a really large group. We’ve 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 further time and penalties.
Ezatolahi, like Lopez and Tarek, has criticised the dearth of restoration time within the knockout stage.
“On this event, the gamers didn’t have sufficient time to get better, particularly within the knockout stage,” he stated.
“Lots of the gamers got here straight from their golf equipment and are underneath quite a lot of strain right here.”
The #AsianCup2023 SEMI-FINALISTS!
🇯🇴🇰🇷🇮🇷🇶🇦#HayyaAsia pic.twitter.com/itn7JTTx9Q
— AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 (@Qatar2023en) February 3, 2024
‘We’ve to be stronger than the whole lot occurring’
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei reiterated the remainder 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 event at the least, I can say that VAR was not very type to us. We had a state of affairs within the match towards Japan that might have been a penalty on Sardar Azmoun, however VAR didn’t examine it for us,” he stated.
“However we’ve to be stronger than the whole lot that’s occurring at this event.”
Iran beat Qatar 4-0 in October, however Ghalenoei urged his group 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’ve to cowl extra distance in contrast with the match towards Japan. I hope we will attain the ultimate after practically 50 years. I’ve large perception in our gamers.”
Kind
Jordan have misplaced as soon as on the event 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 have been inside 90 minutes, the place the Koreans required further time of their two knock-out video games to this point.
Qatar: W W W W W
Iran: W W W W W
Qatar group information
Qatar have a totally match squad to choose 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 group information
Iran welcome again certainly one of their star gamers after Mehdi Taremi missed their quarterfinal conflict via suspension.
Sadegh Moharrami is about to overlook out with a cruciate ligament damage, 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