DOHA: Qatar national squad yesterday kicked-off training at the Madinat Zayed Sports City Stadium, Qatar Football Association (QFA) officials revealed.
Coach Paulo Autuori led the training sessions.
Qatar side is in Abu Dhabi for a week-long training camp in preparation for their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Uzbekistan on October 16.
Prior to the training session, Autuori addressed the players, officials said.
Qatar midfielder Wisam Rizq said: “We want to make the most of the training camp here (in Abu Dhabi). We have an important match coming up. It is good to be here. The backroom staff is doing a great job with all the players.”
Hussein Ali said: “Qatar is preparing for a key game. This is a critical phase of the qualifying. The players need to stay focused. We hope to get a positive result. We want to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.”
Qatar, hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, take on Uzbekistan at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium with kick-off time set for 3:15pm.
Also known as Al Anabi, Qatar last month played two friendlies against Tajikistan and Bayern Munich losing both games 1-2 and 0-1 respectively.
Qatar are in Group A alongside Korea Republic, Iran, Uzbekistan and Lebanon in the Final Round of Asian Zone Qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Members of the Qatar squad represented their clubs in the third-round clashes of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) on Friday and Saturday.
The Qatar squad arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
The QSL will see a break of 20 days before action resumes on October 20.
Abdulrahman Al Mahmoud, the team manager, is also travelling with the squad.
Squad: Qasim Burhan, Baba Malick, Rajab Hamzeh, Ahmed Sufyan, Mesaad Al Hamad, Hamed Ismail, Mohammed Kasola, Taher Zakaria, Khaled Saleh, Ibrahim Maged, Ibrahim Al Ghanem, Marconi, Khaled Muftah, Wisam Rizq, Younes Ali, Talal Albloushi, Magid Siddiq, Abdulla Taleb Afifa, Hussain Ali, Abdulaziz Hatem, Lawrence Quaye, Adel Lamy, Fabioa Cesar, Khalfan Ibrahim, Hassan Alhaydous, Mohammed Alsayed Jeddou, Maged Mohammed, Mohammed Razak, Sebastian Soria, Jarralah Al Marri and Yusef Ahmed.
Coach: Paulo Autuori
Manager: Abdulrahman Al Mahmoud.the peninsula
