Alkass Digital
With head coach Carlos Queiroz satisfied with team’s preparation, Qatar are confident of a strong show as they meet Haiti in their opening match at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The match will kick off 1:00am (Qatar time) on Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
The reigning Asian champions, who are appearing in the tournament for second time as a guest side, will also meet Honduras and eight-time champions Mexico in Group B.
Qatar reached the semi-finals of the tournament in the 2021 edition, and this year Al Annabi are targeting to take a step further by reaching the final.
They are hoping to clinch victory in their opening match against Haiti, who are making their ninth appearance at the Gold Cup. They reached the semi-final in 2019 but failed to go beyond the group stage in the last edition.
Qatar and Haiti have played only one match before in 2010 when the latter won 1-0 in a friendly at Doha’s iconic Khalifa International Stadium.
Al Annabi are without many senior players including Hassan Al Haydos, Akram Afif and goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb, who featured in the tournament two years ago, as Queiroz opted to inject new blood in the team before FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers and the Asian Cup.
The team’s preparation for the Gold Cup included training camps in Doha and Austria, where the side also played three friendly matches.
The veteran Portuguese coach was happy with players’ determination particularly the young guns during these camps.
“The training camps went according to plan as the goal was to prepare the players in all aspects of the game. The Gold Cup is an important tournament for us as we are preparing for the World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Cup title defence,” Queiroz said after team’s training session yesterday.
“I am happy with performance of the players particularly the youngsters. They showed great commitment during the training sessions and showed great fighting spirit during the friendly matches. We need to form a strong group, without relying on a certain players,” the 70-year-old added.
Almoez in the spotlight
Striker Almoez Ali remained the best scorer of the tournament in 2021 scoring four goals to help Qatar reach the semi-final, where they lost to eventual champions US.
The Al Duhail star said the team was aiming to make it to the final this year.
“We reached the semi-finals in our first appearance in the Gold Cup, and this time we are looking to take one step more and qualify for the final. But the task will certainly not be easy at all,” Alomez said yesterday.
“Our preparations are good and all players are fit and ready for the tournament. The opening matches are always important and we are looking forward to take three points against Haiti before our match against Honduras. We want to go into the tough Mexico match on the back of two victories.”
Qatar’s second match against Honduras will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on June 30 while they will meet pre-event favourites Mexico in Santa Clara on July 3.
Qatar midfielder Ali Asad said a win against Haiti will be crucial for his side.
“The Haiti match will determine our course in the tournament, and therefore the points are very important for us.”
“Some players are participating in this tournament for the first time and they will aim to play and score on their international debut. Everyone will fight to prove themselves and get the opportunity at the Gold Cup,” he added.
In other Group B match tomorrow, Mexico and Honduras will square off at the same venue at 3:00am (Qatar time).