Alkass Digital
Midfielder Ahmed Fathi yesterday said Qatar are working towards its main goals of successful FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers and Asian Cup campaigns, terming the ongoing CONCACAF Gold Cup as an important stop on the road to achieving the tasks.
Veteran coach Carlos Queiroz in his first assignment with Qatar snubbed several senior players to pave the way for young players in the tournament, with Fathi saying the event is a great learning experience for the entire team.
“The Gold Cup tournament is important for us. It’s a wonderful experience for everyone particularly the young faces,” said Fathi.
“We will start our World Cup qualifiers campaign [this November] and then defend our Asian Cup title [early next year]. It’s our dream to achieve success in our two major challenges and the Gold Cup will help us gain more experience before these events,” he added.
Fathi, who is leading the side in absence of injured striker Almoez Ali, said it’s an honour to captain the national team.
“I am doing my best to live up to expectations and will continue to work hard to help my team,” the midfielder said before adding Qatar is looking forward to keep winning in the Gold Cup.
“We have only cleared the first hurdle by reaching the quarter-finals. We have high ambitions in the knockout stage and all players are looking forward to give their best. We will miss some players owing to suspensions but we are confident,” he said.
As Group B runners-up, Qatar will face the side topping Group C comprising Panama, Martinique, Costa Rica and El Salvador in the quarter-final on July 9.