Mohammed Waad, the ace midfielder, has said the focus of Asian champions Qatar has shifted towards facing Oman in the next match at the FIFA Arab Cup.
Qatar beat Bahrain 1-0 in their opening Group A match on Tuesday at the 16-team tournament currently being played across six new stadiums to be used during next year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“We are happy with the victory we mustered at the beginning of our Arab Cup journey against Bahrain,” Waad said.
“We played in front of a big crowd, and we were pleased that a large number of Qatari fans attended to support and cheer us on. This win was our gift for the fans who were present at the new World Cup Stadium,” he said.
Wadd added on Wednesday: “Winning is very important, espe-cially from the moral side for the players. We must also remember that the opening matches at big events are always complex and characterised by caution from players of every side. But I am glad we succeeded in securing three precious points.”
He also praised the performance of his team-mates in Tuesday’s encounter, saying that the players succeeded in coping with the oppo-nent’s style and presented a notable performance throughout the two halves of the match.“
The most important thing for us was our return to winning ways once again,” he said.
The Al Sadd midfielder said that the Bahrain match has become a thing of the past as his teammates will now be focusing on the next match against Oman.“
This match will be like a derby with a regional twist, especially since we have played with them before many times in recent times,” Waad said.“Our matches against them always see great rivalry and excitement. It will be a great game of football,” he stated
