HAMILTON: They may be playing in the FIFA U-20 World Cup for just the third time, but no one in Qatar will forget their first brush with this tournament. In 1981, the then debutants shocked the football world by marching all the way to the final, ousting much-fancied Brazil and England on the way.
Germany proved too strong in the final, but that Qatari team — and top scorer Badr Bilal in particular — retain only the fondest of memories of their Australian adventure.
Bilal struck three goals during the team’s run to the final, the best of which was a spectacular bicycle kick against England in the last-four stage.
He believes that the current Qatari team will benefit massively from their U-20 education. “This type of tournament is the highest level in football and they need this experience,” Bilal said.
“We have very good players in this team, they have good football minds and when they have a difficult situation they know how to solve it. I hope and am sure that they will have good results and qualify for the next round,” he said.
Reflecting on his own remarkable experience at FIFA’s flagship youth tournament 34 years ago, Bilal had no hesitation in declaring it as the highlight of his career.
“The best moment of my football life was that bicycle kick and the moment we beat England and knew we were in the final,” he said.
“At that time Poland were the best team in Europe and we beat them in the group stages, then we beat Brazil — the home nation of football — in the quarter-finals and England, which was a massive achievement. Now we have trust in this team to do well too.”
Bilal also believes that Qatar’s class of 2015 will form the basis of the team that will play the senior FIFA World Cup in seven years’ time at home.
“I believe in the coach Felix Sanchez. He is a very good coach and I hope that he has luck in this tournament. When you have luck, you can reach the final,” he said.
“But there is no pressure on the team. My advice to them all is to enjoy playing because if you do that then you can achieve big things. They will gain great experience at this tournament and if they continue in the right way they will be a part of the team in 2022.”
Sanchez, Qatar’s Spanish coach who previously worked in Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, also sees the 2022 World Cup as the key target for his players.
“These boys will be at a great football age in 2022, by which time they will be 25, 26, and there is a huge desire among all those who work with the
team for them to be competing in their home World Cup,” he said.
“It is a long journey, but it will be enriching for them to experience this U-20 tournament, which is the closest you can get to the World Cup itself.
“There are three great teams in our group in the form of Colombia, Portugal and Senegal. Three top teams from strong continents, so it will be a challenge for us,” Sanchez said.
“But our team has been together for a long time, first for the Gulf competition, then in winning the Asian title and now at the World Cup. There is always pressure but we enter this competition as the Asian champions.”
They also arrive in New Zealand knowing only too well that, in football — as Australia 1981 spectacularly illustrated — anything is possible.
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