AFC Asian Qualifiers - Lopetegui expects more from Qatar after win against IR Iran

Doha: Julen Lopetegui kicked off his tenure as Qatar head coach with victory, with the Spaniard describing the 1-0 win against Islamic Republic of Iran as a morale booster for the back-to-back AFC Asian Cup™ champions.

Pedro Correia’s first half strike secured victory against Iran, who were reduced to 10 men following Milad Mohammadi’s 35th minute red card, in their AFC Asian Qualifiers™ - Road to 26 Group A tie as Qatar secured their place in the playoffs, where an additional two tickets are available to next year’s global showpiece.

#AsianQualifiers - Road To 26 | Group A : Qatar 1 - 0 IR Iran

“We played against the best team in the group, one that had already qualified for the World Cup,” said Lopetegui. “We wanted to win to qualify for the playoffs and that's what we did.

"We had every incentive to win, and we worked hard to put in a good performance. We won and were able to finish the match in our favour. This was my first match with the Qatari national team and winning is of course an important incentive for everyone."

“The players adhered to the instructions completely, and the victory is a motivation for what's coming. We have another match ahead of us, and we must also focus because it will be an important building block for what's to come."

Despite a first defeat of their campaign, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei saw positives in his side’s performance.

"I think the match was good. Both teams performed well and we started well. There were some moments in the match, especially the second yellow card for our player, which caused us to lose some control at the end of the first half but we improved in the second half,” said Ghalenoei.

"The Iranian league ended early, and some players waited 20 days (to play), and our situation was different from Qatar's. Seven of our main players were injured but the young players were good and I am very optimistic about the future.”

Qatar face Uzbekistan, who booked their place in the global spectacle following their 0-0 stalemate against the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, while Iran take on DPR Korea.

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