“U23 Vietnam is a very strong team. I’ve faced them before. In the group stage, U23 Iraq did not play well against U23 Thailand, so we have to be very careful in this match against U23 Vietnam to avoid repeating mistakes.” Midfielder Muntadher Mohammed shared before the quarterfinals.
“U23 Iraq must commit not to make mistakes in the quarter-finals, that is extremely important. Our mission is to defeat U23 Vietnam. U23 Iraq needs absolute focus“.
Muntadher Mohammed is an important player in the Iraqi U23 squad. He appeared in all 3 matches in the group stage and wore the captain’s armband in the confrontations with U23 Tajikistan and U23 Saudi Arabia. The player wearing shirt number 11 scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory in the final match to help the home team enter the quarterfinals at the top of the group.
“We played well and quickly bounced back after losing in the opening match against U23 Thailand. The support of the federation and the great efforts of the coaching staff helped us win against U23 Tajikistan and U23 Saudi Arabia. These things create motivation towards the goal of attending the Olympics“, Muntadher Mohammed shared more.
Midfielder Muntadher Mohammed shared in the pre-match press conference.
Coach Radhi Shenaishil said that Iraq U23 has carefully prepared and is ready for the quarterfinals. Besides, he has great respect for U23 Vietnam.
“The ambitions of the teams in the quarterfinals are the same. Southeast Asian football has developed a lot. U23 Vietnam stands out in terms of speed and discipline, but we believe in our players. They will show off their good technical skills and hope to meet the hopes of their fans“, the 57-year-old coach shared.
The team that wins in the quarter-finals will gain the right to enter the semi-finals, thereby having a great chance to win a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The three teams with the best positions will win direct spots. The 4th place team plays a play-off match to compete for the Olympics with U23 Guinea.
U23 Vietnam will wear red shirts, while U23 Iraq will wear white shirts. The match between the two teams will take place at 0:30 on April 27, at Al Janoub Stadium.
According to VAN HAI (VTC News)
