The Qatari national team, the host and defending champion, faces a decisive match in their ambition to reach the final when they meet Iran today at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, in the semi-finals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. The Qatari team enters the match with high hopes of making it to the final for the second time in the tournament's history, affirming their seriousness in defending the title they won in 2019 in the UAE. Coach Marquez Lopez stated, "We will have a very difficult and complicated match against the strong and organized Iranian team. We will enter with great focus and clear ambitions for qualification to the final."
This encounter marks the third meeting between the two teams in the continental finals, with Iran winning both previous matches 2-0 in the 1988 edition and 1-0 in the 2015 Australia group stage. Overall, the two teams have met 25 times, with Iran showing dominance with 17 wins compared to Qatar's 3 victories and 5 draws. In their last match at Oman International Stadium during the final of a quadrangular tournament in Jordan on October 18 last year, Iran inflicted a heavy defeat on Qatar with a 4-0 scoreline, scored within 10 minutes in the second half, leading to the dismissal of Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz on December 6 and the appointment of Lopez in his stead.
The performance of both teams in the tournament has been very similar, as both achieved full points in the group stage. Qatar won against Lebanon 3-0 and defeated Tajikistan and China both 1-0, while Iran triumphed over Palestine 4-1, Hong Kong 1-0, and the UAE 2-1. In the round of 16, Qatar passed Palestine 2-1, while Iran needed penalties to defeat Syria after a 1-1 draw. In the quarter-finals, Qatar also advanced through penalties against Uzbekistan after a 1-1 draw, while the Iranian team eliminated a significant obstacle in the form of the record four-time champions Japan, who were the main favorites to win the title, scoring the winning goal in stoppage time from a penalty (2-1).
Lopez added, "We haven't had enough time to rest; we carry some physical burdens and fatigue after the Uzbekistan match, but we are striving to be fully prepared for the game and have the motivation to win." He continued, "The Iranian team is among the strongest teams in the tournament; they have a very distinguished attack line. We have taken all necessary measures to face that challenge, and we hope to be ready and avoid making mistakes." He also stated, "We will not play to reach penalties; that is a non-existent hypothesis in football. We will play to win in regular time and hope to resolve the match away from such calculations. The Iranian and Qatari teams have met 9 times previously, and we have never won, with 6 wins for them and 3 draws. This does not mean anything and might give us the motivation to achieve our first victory."
In contrast, Iran completed an undefeated streak of 18 matches since November 29, 2022, and 15 matches under their coach Amir Ghalenoei after defeating Japan. Ghalenoei described the victory over Japan as a "turning point in Iranian football, not just for the senior national team but also for the various age groups." He believes Iran can reach new horizons if appropriate plans and infrastructure are utilized, stating, "To achieve a higher level of performance, we need a long-term plan, infrastructure, and, importantly, support from the authorities in Iran."
Ghalenoei said in a press conference yesterday, "We know tomorrow's match is extremely important; we have worked hard to reach this stage, but we must now forget what we've done in the past and think only of our upcoming match against Qatar." He confirmed, "We are aware that Qatar has a developed team and is not an easy opponent, but we also have much to continue competing strongly in this tournament. I believe the success of our tactical style relies 70% to 80% on the players' efforts, and 30% to 20% on the opponents' weaknesses. Regarding the match against Qatar, I anticipate some changes in the lineup based on the opponent's strengths and weaknesses. I believe we have a good bench capable of making a difference, so we can put on a good match tomorrow."
He revealed, "The players have certainly experienced fatigue after the match against Japan, especially since the rest period between matches is short, but we must be strong and face all the challenges and difficulties presented to us in this tournament. I have assured the players that our goal now is to defeat Qatar and reach the final after 50 years since we last reached the continental final." He concluded, "Football, like life in general, is about seizing opportunities when they arise. Hence, this match represents for us the opportunity or the last dance to make history, and we must seize this opportunity and surpass the semi-finals before thinking about the final."
The Iranian team will regain the services of Porto's striker Mehdi Taremi, who missed the match against Japan due to being sent off at the end of regulation time against Syria in the round of 16. Taremi has scored 3 goals in the tournament so far and has formed a successful partnership in the attack with his colleague in the front line, Sardar Azmoun of AS Roma. Overall, Taremi has scored 9 goals in his last 11 international matches. Iran has won the title three consecutive times between 1968 and 1976, and since then, they have reached the semi-finals six times without winning, including three exits via penalties. Their last defeat came against Japan, losing 0-3 in the last edition in the UAE in 2019, in which Qatar was crowned for the first time in its history.
Taremi missed that match due to receiving a second yellow card in the tournament in the quarter-finals against China, and he will undoubtedly seek to compensate for his absence and lead his country to the final for the first time in 48 years. Iranian winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh considers that "it is time for his teammates facing Qatar to show that they are the best generation of Iranian football." The Feyenoord Rotterdam player told the Asian Football Confederation: "Fortunately, I believe the current generation consists of a mix of outstanding individual players who also have great experience, which will help us perform well."
He continued, "This generation has big dreams. We want to show that we are the best Iranian generation in football. The time has come." Jahanbakhsh, 30, added: "From our experience in the UAE 2019 edition (losing 0-3 to Japan in the semi-finals), we know that you will not reach (the title) until you are fully there." He addressed the high expectations in Iran and the passion of his country's people for the sport, saying: "Football is always alive in Iran. It is the number one sport in the country; expectations are always high. The pressure is constantly present across generations."
He added, following the victory over Japan, the four-time champions, when he calmly scored a penalty in stoppage time (2-1), giving his country its first win over the Samurai in the continental tournament: "We showed against Japan that we played well. We played with our hearts, and we will ensure to repeat that in the upcoming matches to finish the tournament in the best possible way." He explained the path of "Team Melli," stating, "Reaching the semi-finals is an important achievement. Our current journey has seen some bumps. We started well (winning against Palestine 4-1). We didn't show our best against Hong Kong (1-0), but against the UAE (2-1) and Syria (on penalties) we improved, and our best performance was against Japan. This gives us additional confidence that we can accomplish great things in this tournament and achieve our dreams."
Regarding the host and defending champion Qatar, Jahanbakhsh, who has played more than 80 international matches, said: "Qatar is a strong team. I have always respected them as one of the best teams in Asia. They have done well in recent years in developing both the country and football." He continued before facing Qatar: "We experienced playing in the semi-finals of the last edition, and we remember the feeling when we exited against Japan in 2019. We do not want that to happen again. We will prepare well and be ready."
At 19, Jahanbakhsh moved to the Dutch league, representing Nijmegen and Alkmaar between 2013 and 2018, before spending three years with Brighton in England. However, in 2021, he returned to the Netherlands, joining Feyenoord, where he won the league title last season. He explained, "Feyenoord changed many things for me, especially last year; it was a wonderful year for me individually and for the team as well. We won the league title and were close to winning the Europa League title (losing in the quarter-finals to AS Roma). I'm happy with that decision."
