News Skill
Among the few coveted championships of football around the world, Copa America 2019 is one of the tournaments that bring excitement and adrenaline pump with its name alone.
In the last few years, only a handful of countries have managed to make their mark on a global scale and it won’t be wrong to say that a tiny gulf nation like Qatar has successfully garnered everyone’s attention by topping the list.
Following their first tournament win at the AFC Asian Cup 2019, Qatar was nominated to take part in the Copa America tournament this year in Brazil. With a sky-high motivation and urge to improve with the experience, Qatar has successfully managed to take praises from everyone with their tremendous performance during a friendly match with Brazil.
In the match against Brazil, Qatar proved that Copa America 2019 is a game for high-calibre teams and won the heart of almost every football fan despite the result of the match. Even though Qatar lost the match with a score of 2-0, fans still support the country as it prepares to leave a mark of theirs on high motivation.
Along with the fans, Asian football expert Martin Lowe has also praised the team and efforts of Qatar.
The game started with Qatar playing a defensive match against the hosts and delivered a compelling performance, which soon marked the injury of the forward playing Neymar due to a sprained ankle.
The experience of the Copa America tournament will prove beneficial to the team, providing a much needed global exposure and learning experience to leave a mark in 2022 FIFA World Cup. According to Felix Sanchez, head coach of the Qatar football team, the Copa America 2019 tournament would be a “significant step” Qatar’s “journey towards the World Cup”. It is for the first time, that a Middle-Eastern country is hosting such a coveted tournament like that of World Cup 2022.
In regards with a proper exposure and opportunity to better the game, Sanchez also said, “Our group includes Argentina, whose abilities are well known, and Colombia, who are exceptionally good performers, whether at World Cups or the Copa America. Paraguay also boasts a pedigreed history.”
“So, I believe these matches will serve as an important staging post for me and the players. They’ll tell us where we currently stand and what we need to do in the next phase,” he added.
While the team believes that their road ahead in the Copa America 2019 would comprise of many difficulties, they also believe that only their team work, high morale and using every opportunity to learn would prove beneficial in the ongoing and any other upcoming tournament.
Qatar is scheduled to play against Paraguay and Colombia on 16 and 20 June respectively.