Marquez Lopez Delighted with Qatar’s Speed

Marquez Lopez was delighted his decision to start without skipper Hassan Al Haydos paid off after Qatar secured a 3-2 win over Iran on Wednesday to seal a second successive appearance in the AFC Asian Cup final.

News ID: ۸۲۳۹۰۷

08 February 2024

Lopez felt Homam Ahmed, Yusuf Abdurisag, Akram Afif and Almoez Ali had the pace needed to break down Iran’s backline, a decision that delivered handsome dividends for the defending champion, who faces Jordan in Saturday’s final.

“First off, I’m very happy for Qatar, the people of Qatar, the fans and the players,” said Spaniard Lopez. “The match was very complex but we played a big match, the players didn’t spare any effort. Now we have one final step left to defend our title.

“We tried to play with great speed in attack. We put four players in attack who we know are quick.

“We tried to find spaces behind the Iranian defense. We were successful at times and luck was with us. We will celebrate this victory now and we will start preparing for the final match," Lpez added. / Tasnim