01 May 2016
Manama, 1 May 2016: Defending champions Qatar will compete in Group C against Japan, Yemen and Iran at the AFC U-19 Championships in Bahrain, which start on October 13 2016 and finish with the final on October 30 2016. The draw to determine the groups and fixtures for the sixteen teams took place on Saturday 30th April in the Bahraini capital of Manama.
Qatar’s U-19 team was entirely made up of Aspire Academy graduates and current student-athletes, topping Group D of the qualifiers to reach the finals for the thirteenth time (13). Although Sayed Issa and Khalid Muneer Mazeed are the team’s top scorers at three goals apiece, Qatar will be looking to emerge from their strong group, which boasts four-time winners Iran, six time runners-up Japan and an ever improving Yemen side that reached the group stages during the last tournament, by relying on their key strength of working together effectively as a team.
As defending champions after another Aspire Academy-filled Qatar U-19 side beat the DPR Korea 1-0 to win their maiden crown in Myanmar two years ago, Qatar is also one of the favourites for this year’s championship and will play with an expectation of further progress earned thanks to the Academy’s diligent work over the years. “The number one goal is to qualify for the U20 World Cup in 2017 in South Korea. And, of course, after winning in 2014 we will do our best to defend the title”, said Roberto Olabe, Director of Football at Aspire Academy.
The finalists of the 2016 AFC U-19 Championships are Bahrain, Australia, China, DPR Korea, Iraq, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Thailand, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.