AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023/ UAE Coach Admits Meeting Tajikistan Will be Difficult

Doha, January 27 (QNA) - The coach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national football team, Portuguese Paulo Bento acknowledged that Tajikistan match, within the round of 16 of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, will be challenging. Addressing a press conference ahead of the match, Bento said his team are ready to face UAE Sunday, expecting that the game will be strong and challenging, noting that Tajikistan have reached this stage with massive momentum and succeeded in the qualification for the first stage for the first time in their history. Tajikistan have adept players, though they face some problems related to their defense line, but they have palpable knack in terms of counterattacks, something will prompt UAE to extensively focus in order to counter the Tajik strengths and qualify for the next stage, Bento added. He added that his selection of the team's line-up will be the best, since his decisions are based on reactions of his players during the training process, confirming that the luckiness is equal in this clash since it is the first time for Tajik team to compete in this tournament, Bento highlighted. He added that it would be a big mistake if the foe was underestimated, indicating that his team will have in-depth knowledge on the Tajik mode of playing and will take advantage of their weaknesses. For his par, UAE player Khalid Al Hashmi emphasized that his team are determined to win over Tajik squad and qualify for the quarter finals, adding that his team are well-versed in the Tajik mode of performance and tactical plans. (QNA)