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Khalfan eager to open goal scoring account in semi
In 2006, he was the first teenager to be named the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Most Valuable Player. And now, Khalfan Ibrahim has finally succeeded in silencing all those sceptics who had raised questions about his selection for the award.
- By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
- Published: 23:42 January 13, 2009
Muscat: In 2006, he was the first teenager to be named the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Most Valuable Player. And now, Khalfan Ibrahim has finally succeeded in silencing all those sceptics who had raised questions about his selection for the award.
Khalfan, the son of Ibrahim Khalfan, the former Qatar international, was in a class of his own in a team that featured many famous players. In spite of his young age, he became one of the key players in his nation's success at several international matches , scoring many beautiful and decisive goals.
But despite his brilliant performances that earned him the Man of the Match award twice in three Gulf Cup matches, Khalfan is yet to score in the tournament.
"I have always been under strict marking, but I will have beat the defenders to score my first goal. There is no more suitable occasion to do that than in our match against Oman (today) because Oman are one of the best teams and the hosts. Scoring against them will have an added value.
"Moreover, it will help my team reach the final," Khalfan told Gulf News yesterday at the Intercontinental Hotel here.
"But I know that scoring against Oman, beating their outstanding custodian Ali Al Habsi, will not be an easy task. Al Habsi has succeeded in keeping a clean sheet, but we are determined to beat him.
"We won promotion (to the semifinal) after suffering for 97 minutes and Yemen succeeded in giving us a hard time in the last game, but that will only serve as an added motivation for us in the next match. We have benefited from the Yemeni lesson greatly and we will not repeat our mistakes," he said.
Ibrahim, the father of the player who now works as a football expert with Al Jazeera TV, however, criticised his son's showing against Yemen. "Khalfan missed the final lethal touch to make his attacking moves bear fruit," he said.
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