08 Feb 2016
Doha, 8 February 2016. In the last game of Group A, Inter Milan came out on top in a pulsating tie against Aspire Academy, registering a 3-0 victory that perhaps flattered the Italians, and was certainly tough on the local side. The focus of Aspire Academy's U17 team is now to prepare conscientiously for the upcoming quarter-final game against the Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg.
“It was like we played two games in one. In the first 45 minute, we were a cause of discomfort for the Italians; we were a real danger to Inter Milan. In the second half though, we didn’t play as well, and it was a weaker half, but I know that this loss, 3-0, will not affect the players. I am proud of them, and I know that they will continue to perform well," said Ibrahim Shafie, Head Coach of Aspire Academy.
In the quarter-finals of the 'Al Kass International Cup' Aspire Academy is going to face Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, February 10, at 6pm. "We are in the quarter-finals, and we have a day off, so we will use this time to recover and turn our attention to the rest of this tournament," added Shafie.
Red Bull Head Coach Marco Rose is expecting a tough game against Aspire. "I watched them play against Inter and they proved to be a good team, especially in the first half where they showed a strong perfotmance. It's going to be interesting to play against the home team of this tournament and we will, of course, do our best to make it to the next round."