Qatar U-23 coach Vale targets Paris Olympics qualification
Top three finishers will seal Olympic Games berths, with fourth-placed team going to a playoff
Qatar’s Under-23 head coach Ilidio Vale said the immediate target for his side is to seal the Olympic qualification, as the hosts open their AFC U-23 Asian Cup campaign with a match against debutants Indonesia today. Berths for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are available to the top three finishers, with an additional opportunity for the fourth-placed team on offer via a Playoff against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) representative team Guinea on May 9 in Paris.
“The goal of this tournament is to qualify for the Olympics. It is good exposure to compete with the best teams in Asia, and I believe everyone should make the best of this time whether you’re a coach, player or administrator,” said Vale yesterday.
“The Qatar Football Association has provided us with everything we need from infrastructure to equipment. We are fully prepared and will be competing hard in this group stage. We may not be favourites to win, but we will give our best in every match,” the coach added.
Vale hoped his young players will able to replicate the success of the senior team, who won their second successive Asian Cup title at home soil in February. “I hope the win of Qatar’s senior national team will be a morale booster for the U-23 team, but I want to reassure everyone that there is no pressure on our team. It’s a different competition, this AFC U-23 Asian Cup is with different teams and objectives. However, I would like the U-23 squad to achieve the same excellent results of their seniors,” Vale said.
After missing the inaugural edition in 2013, Qatar have reeled off five consecutive qualifications and the home side will welcome Indonesia in the second Group A fixture at 6.30pm at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
A third-place finish in 2018 is the furthest Qatar have gone and also the last time they advanced past the Group Stage, while the Indonesians will aim to make waves on their bow after becoming the 25th different team in tournament history to qualify.
Indonesia head coach Shin Tae-yong expects a tough encounter but the former South Korea manager expects the Southeast Asian side to produce their best despite the absence of several key players.
“Qatar, Australia and Jordan are extremely competitive,” said Shin, who steered his native South Korea to the quarter-finals
of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
“The AFC U23 Asian Cup is not in the FIFA calendar, so I can’t say that we have had the perfect preparation, but we have the mindset to improve, continue to develop ourselves and hopefully, we have a good performance.”
Shin admitted Qatar, with home ground advantage, will start as favourites but was optimistic Indonesia can match their opponents
based on their form in friendly matches against West Asian opponents.
“In Dubai, we had friendlies against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and we had a great experience. The level of our performance increased and with that, the players’ confidence also increased. Those matches have been a great help for our team, especially for the matches against Qatar and Jordan.”
In the tournament opener, Australia will start favourites against Jordan at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium. Jordan head coach Abdallah Abu Zema said he is hoping to build on his nation’s run to the final of the Asian Cup Qatar 2023 as the country pursues a first-ever Olympic Games qualification.
Jordan reached the final of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time at the turn of the year, defeating Iraq, Tajikistan and South Korea in the knockout rounds before succumbing to hosts Qatar in the decider. “We are definitely proud as Jordanian athletes with the achievements of the senior national team in the Asian Cup, the performance of our team was very strong,” said Abu Zema. “This gives us great motivation, it pumps up our confidence, our ability to make it to the Olympic Games. We hope to achieve our best result in qualifying for the Olympics.”
Jordan have never qualified for the Olympic Games while Australia will be looking for a third ticket to the Finals since joining the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. The Olyroos featured in the most recent edition of the competition in Tokyo under Graham Arnold and current head coach Tony Vidmar acknowledged the impact of qualification both in itself and for the future development of the senior national team.
“We always understand the importance of an Olympic tournament,” said the former defender. “The country is mad on the Olympic sports, so the football tournament has significant importance for, not only the country, but also the players individually. Going to a tournament like that increases the opportunities and exposure to top level football, which is important for our senior national team for the future.”