Qatar may not face a team similar to the style and strength of Cameroon at the Incheon Asian Games to be held from September 19 to October 4, but the two friendly games against them helped the Gulf nation’s new coach Juan Manuel Cichello rightly analyse his men.
Cichello steadily spurred the team from the touchline and tested all his players at will as Qatar defeated a spirited African side, enjoying a slight height advantage, 25-23, 15-25, 20-25, 28-26, 15-11 in the first match at the Qatar Volleyball Association Hall 2 weeks ago.
However, they could not sustain the momentum as Cameroon won the second 21-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-23.
“For sure, we may not face a team like Cameroon at Asian Games, but by playing against them, I could assess the strengths and weaknesses of my players. I’m beginning a new project and it’s exactly what I wanted to see,” said Argentinian Cichello, who took over from Igor Arbutina last February.
“Cameroon are getting ready for the World Championships in Poland starting in August and the way we performed against them was really satisfying. After all, we want to catch up with the best. But first we need to improve on our current 11th ranking in Asia,” said Cichello, who has worked with clubs in Italy and Spain besides coaching the Argentinian Under-17 and U-19 national teams.
Arbutina watched the second game from the stands.
The Croatian coach said things were looking good for Qatar, with more and more young players coming through the system.
“It’s not like, say five years ago. More talented youngsters, like Mubarak Dahi Waleed, have come up. Still it’s going to be difficult because other countries are also improving,” said Arbutina, adding that he had not decided on his future.
He said Asian Games would be a big challenge for Qatar.
“Iran, China, South Korea, Japan and Australia are all strong. It all depends on the line-up, as some players may not be able to prove their eligibility to play for Qatar in time. Then there’s the draw. It’s not fully in your hands. It’s important to improve all the time,” he said.
