Abdulaziz Hatem made his international debut in 2009, a year before Qatar was confirmed as the host country for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Since Qatar’s successful bid in 2010, the midfielder strove to stay in the team and achieve his goal of representing his country in the football showpiece.
“Since we won the bid to host the World Cup, it was my dream to play for Qatar in this tournament. I used to think how old I will be when the time comes,” the 32-year-old said in a video on Qatar Football Association twitter.
Hatem, who has been a mainstay for Al Rayyan since his move from Al Gharafa did not just retain his place in the national squad, but he also became one of the key players in head coach Felix Sanchez’s World Cup-bound squad. He featured in major tournaments like the Copa America and Gold Cup besides playing an important role in Qatar’s Asian Cup title triumph in 2019.
“It wasn’t an easy task to stay in the national team for this long. It requires a lot of sacrifices and belief. You have to face a lot of challenge to achieve your goals. Maintaining your form, avoiding injuries, developing capabilities, and striving to give your best are some of them,” he said.
Hatem now aims to help Qatar produce a strong show to leave a mark on their World Cup debut.
The home team, placed in Group A, will face European giants Netherlands and reigning African champions Senegal after meeting Ecuador in the tournament’s opening game on November 20.
The seasoned player said Qatar have prepared well for the tournament at training camps in Spain and Austria. The team started their preparations in June and is currently in Marbella, fine-tuning for the World Cup.
“We have high aspirations and we will make all our efforts to give best image of Qatar football. We want to show the world that Qatar is capable of giving a strong performance. Our group is tough and it is going to be a difficult challenge but we have prepared well. We have to stay focused in all our matches,” he said.
Hatem, whose most memorable moment to date came when Qatar defeated Japan in the final of the Asian Cup, hopes Al Annabi will make home fans happy with their performance.
“The support from our home fans will be very important for our matches. It will encourage us and take the best out of team,” he said.
