Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Former national team coach Radhi Shenaishil believes Iraq have the quality to succeed at the AFC U23 Championship, but first Shahad Abdulghani’s defending champions must emerge for a testing Group B which also contains Korea Republic, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Shenaishil, who led Iraq to the semi-finals of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup last January in Australia, is in Doha ahead of this month’s AFC U23 Championship after leaving his role with Qatar SC at the end of last year.
And Iraq, who beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final of the then AFC U-22 Championship in Oman at the start of 2014, open the defence of their title on Wednesday against Yemen at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium.
“I think our team has good quality players,” said Shenaishil after watching Iraq’s training session at Qatar SC’s Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium on Monday.
“Their experience is not very high, and also the quality of the Iraq league is low, but they have had three or four good results before the tournament and the psychology is very high right now.”
With the top three sides at the AFC U23 Championship also qualifying for this year’s Olympic Games in Brazil, Iraq continue their campaign against 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup quarter-finalists Uzbekistan on Saturdaybefore facing 2012 Olympic Games bronze medal winners Korea next week.
“Our group is very difficult with Uzbekistan and Korea. Yemen I think may struggle and finish last. We play Yemen first and this is good, then after this we must put a strategy in place for Uzbekistan and Korea,” added Shenaishil.
“If we go to the second round I think we have a chance to be one of the top teams.”
The AFC U23 Championship begins on Tuesday in Group A as Syria face Iran before hosts Qatar take on China.