We never set any targets: Sanchez

AL KHOR, Qatar: Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said on Tuesday his team were never targeting a place in the knockout phase after defeat by the Netherlands left the hosts without a point in the World Cup.

The home side finished rock bottom of Group A after a 2-0 loss at the Al Bayt Stadium, having already joined South Africa in 2010 as the only hosts to be dumped out at the first hurdle.

“We’re a country with 6,000 football licences so this was a likely situation,” said Sanchez when asked if he ever thought Qatar would get through the group.

“We never thought at any time to set a target of reaching the last 16 or the quarter-finals.

“We just wanted to come here and see what we could do. We managed to play two good games against Senegal and the Netherlands”.