Sanchez proud of players after Qatar maintain unbeaten run

Coach Felix Sanchez (pictured) yesterday hailed Qatar's impressive fighting spirit following their one-all draw against Ireland in the 2022 World Cup qualifier played at Debrecen, Hungary, on Tuesday.
Tuesday's draw helped the Asian champions Qatar to complete an unbeaten run in Hungary. Al Annabi had won their earlier 'home' games against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg at the Nagyerdei Stadion.
Qatar fans were elated by the brilliant efforts of Al Annabi players against the highly competitive European sides, but Spaniard Sanchez seems to be the happiest and proudest of them all.
"In the last match we faced a very strong Irish team, especially in terms of physical aspects, and we found ourselves behind after three minutes. But it did not affect the determination of the our players who were on time as usual and presented a good level of performance and returned to the match. I can say we played to win, especially in the second half where we ventured and put pressure on the opponents who had several players who are playing in the English Premier League," Sanchez said during a post-match press conference.
Mohammed Muntari, assisted by Ahmed Alaa, scored the equaliser with an angular shot in 47th minute after Stoke City midfielder James McClean gave Ireland the lead in the fourth minute.
It was Muntari's second goal in six days and the 10th international goal of his career.
Qatar - ranked 58th on FIFA computer - were impressive throughout the match, maintaining a 55 percent of ball possession against Ireland, who are ranked 42nd in the world.
“If I try to mention the players who contributed at a good level, I will remember everyone without exception. All of them did their best when needed according to their positions. The team as a whole gave a performance that makes us feel proud and proud," Sanchez said.
“They have proven that they have a distinct football mentality and culture. Coming back after a goal behind against teams of this calibre is not an easy task. But our players did it. This is precisely what pleased us," Sanchez who took charge of the Al Annabi outfit in 2017, said.
Qatar, who have qualified automatically for the World Cup as the host nation, are included as a guest team in the European Qualifiers as they look to gain match practice against top teams.
"We have gained great experiences and achieved a lot after playing the three matches," Sanchez said.
Regarding matters that need development, Sanchez said: "I think that the performance in the three matches was very good and the results achieved were deserved. Of course, there are some things that need work and development. We want to be stronger in defense and more effective in attack. We could not score many goals, but we always worked to achieve our target thanks to the performance from the players," Sanchez added,