Iran defeated Qatar 4-1 in the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 which took the team to the top of the Group A standings on Tuesday.
However, Lopez is confident that Qatar can still reach the FIFA World Cup and called on his players to fight tooth and nail in the remaining matches to achieve their target.
“We congratulate the Iranian team on the victory, especially since it performed better than us,” said Lopez.
“We started well and succeeded in scoring first, and had another opportunity to increase the lead. On the other hand, Iran had many chances, including one that hit the post, then they scored two goals,” the Spaniard added.
“Our goal has not changed, which is to qualify for the World Cup, and the opportunity is still there, although the group includes good teams such as Uzbekistan and Iran.
“The mission is not easy, but the opportunity to qualify is available and we have to fight for our chances until the last breath. There are still matches and many points that we must work hard to get,” Lopez concluded.