QNA
The Qatar national football team continued its training sessions in preparation for the upcoming Asian Cup, hosted in Doha from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10.
The team is set to face the Cambodian team on Dec. 31 in Doha, followed by matches against Jordan on January 5th as part of their preparations for the 18th edition of the continental tournament.
Under the guidance of Spanish coach Bartolome Marquez Lopez, the team conducted its training today, focusing on tactical aspects, player duties, and physical conditioning. The coach aims to shape his football vision with less than 20 days remaining before the continental championship kicks off.
Qatar's goalkeeper Saud Al-Khater told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that he was confident in the team's readiness for the upcoming Asian Cup. He mentioned that the team's preparations are looking good and emphasized the importance of utilizing the friendly matches to reach the necessary level of readiness before the continental tournament. Al-Khater highlighted the coaching staff's emphasis on focus and disciplined play, stating the team's aim to defend their title in the championship and replicate their achievement from the 2019 edition.
Al Khater concluded his remarks to QNA by expressing his immense happiness at rejoining the Qatari national team after a long absence. He reiterated that every player dreams of representing their country and aims to fulfill the hopes of Qatari fans by securing victories in the tournament, aiming to bring joy to everyone during the upcoming period.
For his part, Ahmed Alaa, who is a striker for the Qatari national team, stressed to QNA the importance of the team's friendly matches ahead of the continental challenge. He expressed hope in reaching the required level of preparedness alongside the new Spanish coach, Marquez Lopez. Alaa mentioned the coach's clear vision derived from his extensive experience in the Qatari league, which aided in player selection. He also highlighted the coaching staff's efforts to analyze the team's situation and strive for the needed cohesion.
Alaa emphasized the players' commitment to adapting to the new coach's ideas, executing his instructions, and giving their best to achieve satisfactory results. He underlined that no match would be easy and spoke about the team's goal to defend the continental title while emphasizing the importance of taking each game step by step and focusing on the opening match.
The squad, announced by the Qatari Football Association, included 27 players, with Saud Al-Sheeb, Salah Zakaria, Saud Al-Khater, and Meshal Barsham as goalkeepers. Defenders consist of Mehdi Ali, Bassam Al Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Sultan Al-Brake, Tariq Salman, Lucas Mendez, and Hamam Al-Amin. The midfielders are Ahmed Fathi, Osama Al-Tamari, Hassan Al-Haydos, Jassem Jabbar, Abdulaziz Hatem, Ali Assad, Mohammed Waad, Mostafa Tarek, and Ahmed Al-Janahi. Forwards include Ahmed Alaa, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Khalid Munir, Mohammed Montari, and Youssef Abdelrazik.
Qatar, as the defending champion and the tournament host, will commence the competition against Lebanon on Jan. 12, and the tournament structure will see the top two from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, advancing to the knockout stage.