Lopetegui challenges Saudi Arabia: and raises questions over Akram Afif and Almoez Ali

Julen Lopetegui has raised the stakes ahead of Qatar's eagerly awaited clash with Saudi Arabia. The Spaniard, in charge of the Qatari national team, insists his side did not travel to the Gulf Cup 27 simply to make up the numbers. They came to win it, injuries and a tight schedule before the semi-final be damned.

Qatar meet Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Saturday, at the Al-Inma Stadium, in a semi-final that has captured plenty of fan interest.

Speaking at the press conference, Lopetegui said: "We made use of the two days available for preparation, and we focused mainly on the players recovering their energy. The line-up is clear to us, and everyone is ready to face a strong opponent playing on their home ground and among their fans."

"The stadium being filled with fans does not represent pressure on us, but rather an added incentive," he added. "We know the fans will be behind their national team, but there are no excuses, and we must focus on the pitch, defend well and attack sharply, as we possess the physical, mental and tactical strength."

Defending his side's quality, the Spaniard argued that reaching the last four proves Qatar can compete. "We created many chances to score, which is why I disagree with those who see that Qatar's national team is not good," he said. "We have the mentality and the strength to compete, and the proof is our presence in the semi-final."

"History is important, but we are talking about reality," the manager continued. "We are suffering from some injuries, and time is tight, but there are no excuses. We have great confidence and we want to deliver a strong match, and if we are able to beat Saudi Arabia it will be a wonderful thing."

On the aims behind entering the tournament, Lopetegui was blunt: "We did not come here merely to play or to experiment with players. We take the tournament seriously, and we want to win and deliver the best we have. We came here to win the cup."

Akram Afif and Almoez Ali remain doubts. "Akram Afif can play in more than one attacking position, but he was ill, and I do not yet know whether he will take part tomorrow," Lopetegui explained. "We are capable of competing with or without him."

"I hope Almoez Ali will be able to take part and help the team, and we will wait until tomorrow morning, after the players get some rest and recovery, to make the final decision regarding the line-up," the manager added.

Qatar player Abdulaziz Hatem backed up his coach's confidence. "Our morale is high and everyone is ready," he said. "We have two days to prepare, and our focus is entirely on achieving qualification, and we are aware of the difficulty of facing the Saudi national team, who have home ground and fans."

Hatem drew a line between this and the World Cup. "The World Cup period was different, and there are new elements and we are living through a transitional phase," he said. "This tournament has a different objective, but our mentality is to compete, and it is wonderful to play a match in front of more than 50,000 fans."