Qatar manager Bruno Metsu was furious with his side after they lost 2-0 to Uzbekistan in the opening match of the 2011 Asian Cup.
The hosts failed to produce in front of their fans on Friday, with the crowd at the Khalifa Stadium going home disappointed after Odil Akhmedov and Server Djeparov both struck in the second half for the visitors.
The result means Qatar may struggle to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament and the result clearly disappointed Metsu.
“Today is a very bad start for our team,” Metsu said.
“We wanted to play well for the people, for everybody but we played a very bad game today. I’m sorry for the fans, for everybody but sometimes it is very difficult to play well right from the start of a tournament, particularly with pressure on the players.”
“Today is really a bad day. Sometimes the opening game is very difficult, it’s not the first time a host team has lost their first game. They worked very hard for this game but sometimes the opposite happens and this was the case today.”
Metsu is under no illusion as to what is required if Qatar are to leave their group, insisting a win was vital against China on Wednesday.
“For us, this game we need to win only. No question, no calculations, nothing. If we want to get to the second round, the only result is to win,” he said.
“We have five or six days to prepare for this game and also, I think the pressure is different for the second game for our team. I think it is possible, I respect China because they are also a good team but what my team showed today is not us.”
Despite watching his side win comfortably, Uzbekistan manager Vadim Abramov insists his side can play a lot better.
“I’m very sorry for Qatar people because this was a big celebration for them,” Abramov said.
“They (the players) played great today but this is not our maximum, I still think that we can play much better. We got the three points today and we are happy now, but we should not relax for the next match.”
“We will enjoy this now but tomorrow we will look to the next match. The fact that we beat Qatar today will help us for the next game.”
Abramov’s side can wrap up qualification for the quarter-finals if they manage to defeat reigning Gulf Cup of Nations champion Kuwait in their next group match on January 12.
Sat 8 January, 2011
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