A Qatari player in action during training session.
Asian champions Qatar are favourites against Bangladesh in today’s Asian Qualifiers Group E clash at home but coach Felix Sanchez is not taking things for granted as Al Annabi returns to competitive football after a year’s break. Qatar, who will host their continental opponents at Doha’s Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, is seeking to consolidate top position in the group in today’s match. Ranked 59th on the FIFA computer, the 2019 AFC Asian Cup champions are leading Group E with 13 points and will confirm their berth at the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 by winning the group. Bangladesh, who is ranked 184, are at the bottom of the group. Sanchez yesterday shrugged off the favourite tag, saying his team will go into today’s match completely focused.
“We prepare for all matches by focusing on our goals on the pitch only and we do not care what is said on social media platforms or even the words of other coaches,” Sanchez said at a pre-match press conference yesterday. “Bangladeshi team is organised and plays collectively and therefore we have to be disciplined and beware of conceding goals and avoid counterattacks,” the Spaniard added. Qatar last played a competitive match against Saudi Arabia in the semi-final of the Gulf Cup in December 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted international football action.
“We are happy to play the first official match after a long time. Our players are excited for the competition to return again and we are all eagerly waiting for tomorrow’s match,” the coach said yesterday. Both the teams last met in Dhaka with Qatar winning the game 2-0 after a thrilling match. Today’s game is also expected to be an absorbing battle as Bangladesh are seeking to give a strong fight against the hosts. All the 1,800 tickets, which were made available for the tie, were sold out in quick time.
The match will kick off at 7:00 pm today. Fans will be able to see top Qatar stars including reigning AFC Player of the year Akram Afif, his predecessor Abdel Karim Hassan and Almoez Ali, the leading scorer at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in action, as Sanchez named a strong squad for today’s match. Accompanying Sanchez in yesterday’s press conference, Muhammad Waad, who is expected to make his international debut today, said he is ‘ready to give his best’ for Qatar. “I am ready to give my best for the national team. Our team is very well prepared and we will give our best to achieve victory in the match and live up to the expectations of our fans,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh assistant coach Stuart Watkiss said his team is going into the game with a lack of competitive match practice. “You only get truly match-fit by playing competitive matches, but unfortunately we have still not played nearly enough,” Watkiss told The Daily Star.
