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Ayeni Olusegun
Doha
After securing a tough win against Bangladesh in Dhaka last Thursday, Qatar will seek to tighten their grip atop Group E in the joint FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers against Oman on Tuesday.
The match, which will kick off at the Al Janoub Stadium in Wakrah at 7:30pm, will see both unbeaten sides in the group lock horns for the first time in five years. Al Annabi last played The Reds back in a 2014 friendly in Doha which ended in a 2-2 draw. This will also be their sixth meeting in the Qualifiers as Oman waits to get the better of Qatar in five attempts -- Qatar are also yet to lose against an Asian opponent since the start of the year.
Both Gulf neighbours are fresh off victories against both Bangladesh and Afghanistan but the 2022 World Cup hosts lead the group with seven points, just one ahead of second-placed Oman.
“Our target is obviously to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2023 and I’m sure our opponents have similar objectives, hence, the importance of the game. Our players are ready and committed to achieving this goal. The team did well in our last match despite challenging conditions and everyone is fit and ready to go,” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez told reporters on Monday.
Sanchez who has been the team’s coach since 2017 is known for trusting young players with big game opportunities and recently one beneficiary is Al Sadd loanee Yusuf Abdurisag.
The young striker bagged the opener for Qatar against Bangladesh for his first international goal in only his third match.
“The young players are capable of playing in the national team, that’s why they are here. The experience is good for them -- they get to play these big matches. We look for players who can help the team and create opportunities for the side, so age doesn’t matter.
This will be our fourth match in the group and we have four more to go, so there’s no pressure,” Sanchez added.
Al Annabi however, will face a resurgent Oman team whose fortunes have been on the rise since the appointment of Dutch coach Erwin Koeman in February.
In six games at the helm of the team, Koeman has led his team to five wins and a draw. The Reds also started the qualifiers with an impressive 2-1 win against India before easing past Afghanistan 3-0.
“The players are motivated especially after our first two games and sure we respect Qatar but we have to give our best to earn the three points.
We have worked hard in training to fix our weaknesses and accordingly we will make some changes. We will be facing the Asian champions, so our preparations have been different,” Koeman said.
The former PSV midfielder added that his players will be motivated playing in a Wolrd Cup stadium.
“We hope to play a good game especially in this beautiful stadium (Al Janoub) which will motivate our players. Our opponents will be ready for us and I’m sure they won’t be affected after their match against Bamgladesh.”
In another development, the Qatar Football Association (QFA), in coordination with the Oman embassy in Qatar, announced the allocation of 3000 free tickets for Omani fans wishing to attend the match.
Doha
After securing a tough win against Bangladesh in Dhaka last Thursday, Qatar will seek to tighten their grip atop Group E in the joint FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers against Oman on Tuesday.
The match, which will kick off at the Al Janoub Stadium in Wakrah at 7:30pm, will see both unbeaten sides in the group lock horns for the first time in five years. Al Annabi last played The Reds back in a 2014 friendly in Doha which ended in a 2-2 draw. This will also be their sixth meeting in the Qualifiers as Oman waits to get the better of Qatar in five attempts -- Qatar are also yet to lose against an Asian opponent since the start of the year.
Both Gulf neighbours are fresh off victories against both Bangladesh and Afghanistan but the 2022 World Cup hosts lead the group with seven points, just one ahead of second-placed Oman.
“Our target is obviously to qualify for the Asian Cup in 2023 and I’m sure our opponents have similar objectives, hence, the importance of the game. Our players are ready and committed to achieving this goal. The team did well in our last match despite challenging conditions and everyone is fit and ready to go,” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez told reporters on Monday.
Sanchez who has been the team’s coach since 2017 is known for trusting young players with big game opportunities and recently one beneficiary is Al Sadd loanee Yusuf Abdurisag.
The young striker bagged the opener for Qatar against Bangladesh for his first international goal in only his third match.
“The young players are capable of playing in the national team, that’s why they are here. The experience is good for them -- they get to play these big matches. We look for players who can help the team and create opportunities for the side, so age doesn’t matter.
This will be our fourth match in the group and we have four more to go, so there’s no pressure,” Sanchez added.
Al Annabi however, will face a resurgent Oman team whose fortunes have been on the rise since the appointment of Dutch coach Erwin Koeman in February.
In six games at the helm of the team, Koeman has led his team to five wins and a draw. The Reds also started the qualifiers with an impressive 2-1 win against India before easing past Afghanistan 3-0.
“The players are motivated especially after our first two games and sure we respect Qatar but we have to give our best to earn the three points.
We have worked hard in training to fix our weaknesses and accordingly we will make some changes. We will be facing the Asian champions, so our preparations have been different,” Koeman said.
The former PSV midfielder added that his players will be motivated playing in a Wolrd Cup stadium.
“We hope to play a good game especially in this beautiful stadium (Al Janoub) which will motivate our players. Our opponents will be ready for us and I’m sure they won’t be affected after their match against Bamgladesh.”
In another development, the Qatar Football Association (QFA), in coordination with the Oman embassy in Qatar, announced the allocation of 3000 free tickets for Omani fans wishing to attend the match.
