Qatar

Qatar have endured a difficult 14 months, with their World Cup adventure on home soil turning into the worst performance by a host nation ever and their subsequent gamble on appointing the experienced Carlos Queiroz as coach not working out.

What to expect

The welcoming of the football fraternity back to Qatar sees the country stage the Asian Cup for the third time and for the first time since 2011 when Qatar reached the last eight. That would be a great achievement in 2023 with expectations around the team low, despite the Qataris.

Home advantage and the tag of defending champions should however count for something and they do have the bulk of the team that took them to the title in the UAE in 2019.

The supporters of The Maroons have been disappointed with the performance levels of the current team, but come kick-off at Lusail Stadium on January 12 they will rally around the team.

Four years ago, they celebrated Qatar’s maiden continental title as Almoez Ali and Akram Afif combined to destroy the opposition, suggesting Qatar had finally arrived as an elite team. The football was often eye-catching and the hosts will rely on the same duo as well as captain Hassan Al Haydos, Boualem Khoukhi and Bassam Al Rawi to defend their crown in respectable fashion.

The bulk of Asian Cup winners didn’t move abroad after 2019 and that’s perhaps one of the reasons why Qatar haven’t progressed as a team.

Star player

Akram Afif provided a record of ten assists at the last Asian Cup, showcasing vision, creativity and gossamer passing. Judging by his recent form at Al Sadd, Afif could prove to be instrumental again for the holders. A winger, he was the first Qatari to play in La Liga.

His attacking partner, Almoez Ali, the top scorer at the 2019 Asian Cup with nine goals, has struggled to find the back of the net, but recently he hit four against Afghanistan suggesting he is peaking at just about the right time.

Manager 

After the departure of Carlos Queiroz, Bartolomé Marquez took charge. The Spaniard is a manager in the fashion of Felix Sanchez, who led Qatar at the World Cup: he knows the house inside out, having worked at the Aspire Academy and Qatari-owned club Eupen in Belgium. Marquez achieved good results with local club Al Wakrah before moving to the national team. He is nicknamed after the comic book character Tintin because of his hairstyle.

Schedule 

Friday, January 12, 2024, 7:00 pm: Qatar – Lebanon – Lusail Stadium, Lusail

Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 5:30 pm: Tajikistan – Qatar – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Bayt

Monday, January 22, 2024, 6:00 pm: Qatar – China –  Al Khalifa Stadium, Doha

Squad