The Peninsula
The former Asian champions are marking the four-year countdown with a phenomenal run this season, stunning several top-ranked opponents including European sides as they get ready for next year’s Asian Cup in the UAE.
Qatar, under coach Felix Sanchez, are on the way to becoming a formidable side with a blend of youth and experience. The World No.96 side this season has played six friendlies and lost just one game, winning four matches.
One of those victories was a 1-0 win over World No.8 Switzerland on their home soil last week, which stunned the world. Proving it was no fluke, Qatar also held another 2018 World Cup side Iceland to a gutsy 2-2 draw in Eupen, Belgium just days later (On Monday).
They have also beaten Iraq, China, Palestine and Ecuador this year in the last two months.
The best part of a successful European tour for Qatar was that team regulars and young players played their due role. Captain and feared striker Hassan Al Haydos, influential defender Abdul Karim Hassan – the current nominee for AFC Player-of-the-Year award - and Karim Boudiaf showed their vast experience while young foward Akram Afif sent out the warning to the world with a winning goal against the Swiss side.
Al Haydos, who will be celebrating his 32nd birthday during the 2022 World Cup, hopes to be in national camp during the home tournament.
“Aside from being a football player, as a Qatari it is an honour to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the most important event in world football. I will try my best to be with the national team in 2022, that would be a dream for me and it is a dream for all the nation of Qatar,” the striker had said in an interview earlier.
Meanwhile, coach Sanchez is hoping that with more exposure to tougher tests, his players have the potential to bring further improvement.
“There are games where we cannot do 100 percent what we have to do and of course you have the opposition in front ... we need to do more things that we’re not used to do but it’s the way to compete,” he told AP.
“It’s steps we have to do to arrive in 2022 ready to compete,” said Sanchez.
For Qatari midfielder Assim Madibo, victory against Switzerland was crucial, saying it has established the team Al Anabi’s name in major footballing nations.
“It’s a big win for us especially (because) a lot of people don’t know us,” he said.
“I think they will know us more after this game ... Now we are only focusing on playing big games so we will get respect and people will know us,” Madibo added.
Qatar’s strides in international football has also impressed Spain and Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, who has spent the best part of his post-international retirement era playing for Al Sadd in the Gulf state.
“We are in a good way,” Xavi, a World Cup winner, said in an interview recently. “We have many talented players and it means that (coach) Felix Sanchez is doing a really good job. We must keep going like that. It’s a big win, of course.”
Qatar will accelerate their preparations for the FIFA 2022 World Cup and after the 2019 Asian Cup, Al Anabi’s next stern test will be the 2019 Copa America in June and the World Cup qualifying tournament.
Sanchez said the next challenges will give Qatar valuable experience before the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“It’s a big motivation to play against such teams and start to feel what is the real pressure in official competition against one of the top national teams in the world like Brazil, Argentina or one of those,” he said.
With a lot of hard work being put in by the Qatar Football Association (QFA) to prepare a best possible group of players, the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts can emulate the hosts of the last edition Russia, who impressed all by reaching the quarter-finals on their home soil.