Qatar's players entered the sullen-faced mixed zone at Al-Thumama World Cup stadium, which hosted Senegal's 3-1 victory over Al-Annabi in the second group match of the tournament.
With the word, praise be to God, God's destiny, and what He wills, they were responding to the journalists' request to ask questions, and among them was the captain of the Qatari team, Hassan Al-Haydos, who told Al-Jazeera Net that "we lacked luck and success in translating opportunities into goals, in a big tournament like the World Cup, you pay dearly for mistakes." No matter how small."
And he continued, "We presented a better level than the first match. We were late and wasted 90 minutes in the first match, in which we could have performed better."
He concluded, "In the second half, the players missed more than one opportunity, and if we scored one of them, the course of the match would have changed."
In turn, Qatar national team player Karim Boudiaf told Al-Jazeera Net that "the first goal we received before the end of the first half greatly affected our morale, and we knew that returning in the second half would be difficult."
And he continued, "When we tried to come back in the result, we conceded a second goal. We did not encounter bad luck. Rather, we made mistakes and paid the price for them. We have to play a good match against the Netherlands national team and end the tournament in the best possible way."
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And Akram Salman, the Qatar national team player, believes - in response to a question by Al-Jazeera Net - that the Qatar national team "was a strong match for the African champion, and they were surprised by the level we presented, and there was great respect for our team."
And he continued, "Saudi Arabia's victory over Argentina was a strong motivation for us, and this is what we tried to translate on the field, but our loss in the first match - which is our first in the World Cup - was accompanied by awe, fear and mistakes that we tried to avoid in the Senegal match, but God's destiny and what He willed did."
“Hadaf”
⏰ 78 Al-
Annabi scores the first goal through Mohamed Muntari 💪
Qatar 1-2 Senegal # We are all Annabi # Qatar 2022 pic.twitter.com/0GsmeBifPg
- Qatar Football Association 🇶🇦 (@QFA) November 25, 2022
On the Senegal side, the players were overwhelmed with joy and smiles on their faces, but they admitted that they faced a strong match and were lucky to come out victorious over Al-Annabi.
And Ismail Jacob, the French left-back of Monaco, confirms - in response to a question by Al-Jazeera Net - that the match was difficult, and we suffered in the face of an organized team that was good at crosses and had two strikers.
And he continued, "We started the second half in a good way and entered its atmosphere and posed a threat to their goal, but after the second goal they launched continuous attacks and scored a goal and we were lucky to come out with this result after the saves made by our goalkeeper Ferland Mendy, and we will prepare well for the Ecuador match, which is a final - for us - that must win it."
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In response to a question by Al-Jazeera Net, Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy answered our question about the Qatar national team, saying, "A good team with skilled elements and playing good football, but we managed to get the three points."
In turn, Idrissa Gana Guy, the former player for Paris Saint-Germain and the current player for Everton, said - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that "the Qatar team is strong and we prepared it well and played comfortably, and we did not see that it had any fear or hesitation in facing us."
He added, "The difference between their first match against the Netherlands and the second against Qatar is that they scored goals, maintained their progress, managed the match as they wanted, and emerged victorious."
"We will play against Ecuador in the same way we played against Qatar, because it is a decisive match and for us it is a final," he concluded.
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As for Khalido Coulibaly, the captain of the “Teranga Lions” and the heart of Chelsea’s defense, he admitted that it was “a difficult match and an exhausting victory, because we knew that Qatar is a strong team and it is the Asian champion and has good players, and we wanted to win and we sought it and presented a good match, and we still have a final match and we will fight in it until The last breath."
The Qatar national team lost to Senegal in its second match in the 2022 World Cup, which is being held at home and among its fans, and officially exited the competition after the end of the other meeting in Group A, with the Netherlands and Ecuador tied 1-1. Losing in their opening match against Ecuador, they lost by a score of 1-3.
The goals of the "Teranga Lions" were scored by Boulady Dia, Famara Didio and Bamba Diang, while substitute Mohamed Muntari managed to score Qatar's only goal, making history after becoming the scorer of the first goal for Qatar in the history of the World Cup.