Qatar Eyes more Titles after AFC Champions League Win
Qatar reveled Sunday in the AFC Champions League title win of its unfancied standard-bearer Al Sadd and eyed further footballing trophies before it hosts the 2022 World Cup.
"We hope that this historic victory marks the beginning and will lead to other achievements for Qatari football in the future," said Qatar Football Association chairman Sheikh Hamad al-Thani.
The choice of Qatar as World Cup hosts had stoked controversy with question marks raised over the tiny gas-rich emirate's footballing credentials and the logistics of air-conditioning all the venues in the searing summer heat of the Gulf.
But Kuwait daily Al-Anbaa said Al Sadd had dispelled such criticism by ending the five-year stranglehold on the title by Korean and Japanese teams, and getting through to December's Club World Cup in Japan as Asia's continental champions.
Qatari daily Al-Raya said the Doha club were deserving champions after showing their "fighting spirit" in Saturday's final.
Al Sadd recovered from the setback of an injury-time equalizer by South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in their home stadium in Jeonju to battle through extra time and keep the score poised at 2-2, triggering a nail-biting penalty shoot-out which they won 4-2.
The 12-time Qatari champions won the Champions League's pre-cursor, the Asian Club Championship, in 1989.
Source: Agence France Presse
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