Alkass Digital
Qatar head coach Carlos Queiroz yesterday announced a 24-player squad to feature in the Jordan International Quad Championship which gets underway in Amman tomorrow.
Arabian Gulf Cup champions Iraq and Iran beside hosts Jordan are the other nations taking part in the competition that will consist of two Match Days at the Amman International Stadium.
Reigning Asian champions Qatar will meet Iraq in their opening game tomorrow with Jordan also meeting Iran on the inaugural day. The last day of the tournament on October 17 will see the final and a play-off game between the losing sides.
As Queiroz continues to test his players ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, the veteran Portuguese has made several changes in the latest squad after last month’s home friendlies where Al Annabi were stunned by Kenya before being held by Russia at Al Janoub Stadium.
Among the snubbed players for Jordan tourney is goalkeeper Jasem Al Hail while defenders Hazem Ahmed and Pedro Miguel have also been left out. Al Rayyan goalkeeper Fahad Younes has made his way to the squad.
Goalkeepers Saad Al Sheeb and Yousef Hassan besides defender Boualam Khoukhi were also ruled out for the tournament after they suffered ‘minor injuries’ during training sessions, according to the Qatar Football Association.
Qatar’s front line will mainly consist of Al Sadd forwards as Akram Afif, Hassan Al Haydos, Ali Asad and Yousef Abdelrazaq have been retained in the squad along with Al Duhail star Almoez Ali, Al Gharafa’s Ahmed Alaa and Hazem Ahmed of Al Wakrah.
Qatar had a short training camp ahead of the four-nation tournament with Queiroz holding training sessions at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The coach is aiming to prepare a strong squad for the World Cup qualifying games against a play-off winner on November 16 and against India on November 21. Qatar will then gear up for their Asian Cup title defence at home with the tournament scheduled from January 12 to February 10.