Afc.com
Doha
Head coach Miodrag Radulovic admitted that it was the grandeur of the atmosphere at the majestic Lusail Stadium that distracted Lebanon in their 3-0 defeat to Qatar in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 opening match last Friday.
Radulovic, however, insisted that Lebanon have already put the setback behind them and are raring to register their first win in the continental showpiece when they play Chinaon Wednesday.
“Playing in the opening match of the AFC Asian Cup was overwhelming for the team and it caused us to make some silly mistakes and give opportunities to the opposition, but that is history now and the competition begins for us with the second match,” said the Montenegrin.
“China are a very balanced team with a lot of experienced players, and we have a lot of respect for them,” he said.
“Against such a team, I want to ensure an even rhythm throughout the game which might entail resting some players and mixing the squad up a bit.”
“The competition in the group is still wide open and we will vie to collect the six points that are still up for grabs. I am quite optimistic about the match, especially with the amount of support we receive from the stands.”
China head coach Aleksandar Jankovic, also looking to lead his team to their first win of Doha 2023, chose to keep his cards close to his chest ahead of the decisive game.
“There are still two matches to go so there is no sense in drawing conclusions about qualification chances,” said Jankovic, whose side were held 0-0 by Tajikistan on Saturday.”
“Following the analysis of our previous match, we have identified some weaknesses as well as positive trends, which we will study further and use to the best of our abilities.
“Our excitement and motivation have not dipped since the first game and I think both teams are equally capable of winning. So, our target is very simple – just to score one more goal than Lebanon.”
