Courtesy:
The AFC.comRayyan skipper keeping the faithTuesday, 28 June 2011Doha: Al Rayyan’s veteran goalkeeper Badi Johar believes his team still have a strong chance of winning the title despite their emphatic loss to Nagoya Oceans on Tuesday but only if they can repeat the form they showed against Iraq’s Al Karkh and China’s Zhejiang Dragon.
Al Rayyan went down 8-3 in the final round of group stage matches, which saw the Japanese side advance to the semi-finals as Group A winners and will face Lebanon’s Al Sadaka, while the Qataris face a tough final four meeting with undefeated Shahid Mansouri of Iran.
Johar, however, feels that if the AFC Futsal Club Championship hosts can rediscover the form they showed in their first two Group A games then there should be no reason why the coveted trophy wont be staying in Qatar.
“Against the Chinese side, we did extremely well. If we can continue the good work, we’ve a strong chances of winning the title,” the Al Rayyan skipper told www.the-afc.com.
“We did impressively well against Karkh in the first half. We dominated them during the session but put ourselves in trouble by being a bit lethargic in the second. But for that, it was still an impressive showing by us.
“We accept that Nagoya Oceans and Shahid Mansouri are superior to us in many ways, but anything can in the knockout stage. Moreover, we’ve the advantage of playing at home.”
Regardless of whether Al Rayyan win or lose, the 37-year-old, a former Qatar international still believes that hosting the 2011 AFC Futsal Club Championship was a source of great pride for his club and the country.
“It’s a great honour for us to host this championship,” he said.
“Since it is being held at home, Rayyan’s young players get a chance to watch some of the greatest players in action. They can learn a lot by watching these players. By seeing their work ethic, the way they train and carry themselves.
“Being the Qatar League champions, we’ll be representing the country at the next competition and these youngsters’ experience at home will come in handy.”
Johar had been a handball goalkeeper for over a decade before switching to futsal and when asked about the difference he felt in the two games, the former Qatar Sports Club and Al Sadd keeper said:
“I don’t find that much of a difference being at the goal in handball and futsal. It’s all about quickly adapting to the game.
“Both games demand presence of mind, decision-making powers and quick reflexes. It’s all in the mind.”
Courtesy:
The AFC.comLak’s eyes on Rayyan’s IraniansThursday, 30 June 2011Doha: Shahid Mansouri coach Reza Lak revealed he will pay special attention to Al Rayyan's two Iranian imports when the two sides meet in Thursday's AFC Futsal Club Championship 2011 semi-final.
Mohamed Tahiri and Hassan Zadeh have been among the tournament's leading lights so far in Doha and will again be key figures when they face their countrymen at Al Rayyan Main Hall.
“For tomorrow's game we have a special plan to stop Tahiri and Zadeh so I think we are able to continue our winning run and reach the final,” said Lak.
“We've played well but I think there is more to come.
“In the group stage, we faced three different styles of tactics but our players led us to three wins.”
Shahid Mansouri comfortably topped Group B and take on an Al Rayyan side thumped 8-3 by Nagoya Oceans on Tuesday. Lak, though, is reading little into that result.
“Al Rayyan is a great team with great players. They lost yesterday by a big margin but that does not mean they are a bad team,” he added.
“I think the match will be great for the spectators. It's going to be tough for both teams. They have some good foreign players but we will try to continue our good performances.”
Al Rayyan boss Hassan Ghouila, on the other hand, hopes his Iranian stars' inside knowledge can give the Qataris an edge.
“The Iranians are very good players and I think they know Shahid Mansouri's style, we will sit with them and we will see what we can do for tomorrow,” he said.
“But at the same time, Shahid Mansouri know us and have seen us play in this tournament so I think it's going to be 50-50. No-one's better than the other.”
Al Rayyan, though, continue to struggle with injuries.
“I'm very proud of my players for qualifying. We are facing a well-known team from Iran, they are very tough with good quality but we are having many problems, we have some injured players,” added Ghouila.
“Ahmad Raja is injured and he's still playing, the goalkeeper also (Badi Johar) is injured and he's still playing and Hamad Kassab was injured yesterday. We made it to the semi-final and I hope we keep playing better and better but we are facing a tough Shahid Mansouri team.
“It's only one game and maybe we're in the final, maybe we're out. We spoke to the players to motivate them, we are facing a great team but if they are focused, they can achieve their goal.”
Courtesy:
The AFC.comOceans unfazed by favourites tagThursday, 30 June 2011Doha: Skipper Wataru Kitahara insisted Nagoya Oceans will not be burdened by the weight of expectation as they prepare to face Al Sadaka in the semi-finals of the AFC Futsal Club Championship 2011 at Al Rayyan Main Hall on Thursday.
The Japanese topped Group A with three impressive wins, culminating in Tuesday's 8-3 dismissal of hosts Al Rayyan.
“We are happy to considered one of the favourites,” he said.
“It's good for our confidence but last year we finished third so we don't see it as pressure, we see it as motivation to improve on last year's result.”
Boss Jose Amarante, meanwhile, dismissed any fears over tiredness ahead of their fourth game in five days.
“The semi-final will be a tough game to play. The teams are playing good futsal and we must be very focused and mentally very strong to win against Al Sadaka and go to the final,” he said.
“We focused on the accumulation of fatigue in competitions like this in pre-season so we hope that work in pre-season pays dividends for the players now and we hope that they can keep the same level that they have shown so far.
“We will ask the players to keep their focus during the game and to not commit some of the errors that we have been making.”
While they may start as underdogs, Al Sadaka coach Hussein Dib promised his side will battle until the final hooter.
“It's a semi-final against a great team that play great futsal, pure European futsal. I think it's going to be a very tough game for both teams,” he said.
“We're not going to make it easy for them, we'll try to win. We've been working on tactics and systems, we'll try our best to keep the game very close, we'll be working on our defence as well and the best way to get to the final.
“I believe in my team, they will do a very good job. Especially when we are under pressure, we play well. We'll do our best to keep the game equal and the chances equal. It's a semi-final, either you win or you don't.
“All the teams won't play the same way as they did in the group stage because in the group stage if you lost, you could make it up in another game. In this game, if you lose, you're out. So I think teams will be more defensive and take less risks.”
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Luca Ranocchiari -->
luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com
