Doha: The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ knockout phase gets underway on Friday with two contrasting, although equally important, fixtures.
Hosts Qatar will take on neighbours UAE in the latest edition of the Gulf Derby while Group B winners Tunisia will face Group A runners-up Oman.
Having won all three of their group games, team Qatar will be hoping to extend that impressive run against a UAE side keen to improve on their group-stage performances.
After overcoming three Gulf teams in the group phase, Qatar will face another opponent from the region in the shape of quarter-final opponents UAE.
Team Qatar go into this game as firm favourites, not only because of the form that saw them win their three group games, but also because they beat their opponents on the last two occasions they met, in the AFC Asian Cup (4-0) and the Gulf Cup (4-2), both in 2019.
Coach Felix Sanchez will once again be expecting big things from captain Hassan Alhaydos, in-form star Akram Afif and striker Almoez Ali. All three starred in the final match of the group stage and played a key role in the team’s aforementioned 2019 defeats of UAE.
Qatar’s captain Hassan Alhaydos said “The game against UAE won’t be easy or like the previous encounters, as they are now a different team. It will be difficult, but we hope we can win to qualify for the semis.”
Source: Qatar Olympic Committee
