Iraq coach Radhi Shenaishil (left) and Japan coach Go Oiwa shake hands at a press conference yesterday. AFC
Doha, Qatar: Iraq coach Radhi Shenaishil has said victory against Japan in the AFC U23 Asian Cup semi-final today is his team’s only priority, as the win will guarantee one of Asia’s three berths at this year’s Paris Olympic Games.
The Iraqis have bounced back with three wins in a row after losing their opening match of the tournament against Thailand to reach the semi-finals, and Shenaishil admitted results have taken precedence over playing style since that surprise first day defeat.
“When we lost against Thailand there was a lot of pressure on our players, so we tried to think about the positives rather than the performances,” Shenaishil said ahead of the semi-final to be played at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
“We had a lot of pressure after the first game of the group. We are working on winning and not having a beautiful game. The players did what we asked them to do. They had a lot of defensive and offensive plans and we were looking for results rather than performances.”
Iraq have ground out victories over Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia before seeing off Vietnam in the quarter-finals through Ali Jasim’s second half penalty and now stand one win away from the final and booking their spot at the Olympic Games.
The Iraqis have qualified twice for the Olympics, reaching the semi-finals in 2004 while their most recent appearance was in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
The Japanese, who are aiming to reach the final for the first time since winning the title in 2016, are confident ahead of the clash.
“Our previous match with Qatar was a very tough match and I’m sure the next match will be the same, but we have planned and simulated how we will play and we are prepared,” said coach Go Oiwa, whose team needed extra-time to defeat the hosts in the quarter-finals.
“The way we perform and the way we train is the same. We will try to defend with our entire team. There is never an easy game.”
Indonesia eye, another upset
Meanwhile, debutants Indonesia are determined to extend their involvement in the tournament with the Southeast Asian side aiming to create more history when they face Uzbekistan in the semi-final at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium today.
They debutants have been a revelation, advancing to the knockout stage at Australia and Jordan’s expense before stunning South Korea in the quarter-finals.
Head coach Shin Tae-yong expressed his awe at Uzbekistan’s quality, having witnessed first-hand how Timur Kapadze’s side plays but remained confident that his Indonesian side will pass another tough test.
“I went to the stadium for the Uzbekistan-Saudi Arabia match and saw for myself that Uzbekistan are a very good team – stable, organised and well disciplined,” said Shin.
“It will not be easy in the semi-final but we are in good shape, so hopefully we can get a good result.”
As for Uzbekistan, they go into the semi-final as the only team with a perfect record of four wins at Qatar 2024.
“We’re happy to have reached this round, we will have a tough game tomorrow but we will be ready,” said Kapadze.
“Each game was difficult for us, especially the last one against Saudi Arabia. Tomorrow is another game and we work as usual. We have our strategy for Indonesia and we will look to implement it in the game.”
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