Qatar coach Lopetegui unveils squad built on Asian champions’ core

LONDON: Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui named nine forwards, including two-time Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif and the country’s all-time top scorer Almoez Ali, in his World Cup squad on Monday, as the Asian champions prepare for a tournament that could redefine their standing on the global stage.

Qatar head to North America aiming to move beyond a disappointing 2022 campaign on home soil, where they became the first host nation to lose all three group matches despite heavy investment and high expectations.

Since then, however, the Gulf side have quietly rebuilt momentum, retaining the Asian Cup in 2023 and qualifying for the World Cup on merit for the first time.

Lopetegui’s squad retains a familiar core, with several players from the 2022 team included, such as defender Pedro Miguel, goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham and midfielders Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem and Karim Boudiaf.

The group remains largely shaped by Qatar’s Aspire Academy system, which has underpinned the country’s rise over the past decade and fostered continuity and cohesion. But questions persist over whether a squad drawn heavily from the domestic league can consistently compete with elite opposition.

Preparations have also been uneven. Qatar suffered a surprise group-stage exit at the Arab Cup in December, while planned friendlies against Serbia and world champions Argentina in March were cancelled, denying Lopetegui valuable high-level tests.

Still, expectations have risen again following back-to-back Asian Cup triumphs and a relatively balanced World Cup group.

Qatar will face Switzerland in Santa Clara on June 13 before taking on co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 18 and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle six days later. Squad

Goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria, Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham

Defenders: Hashmi Hussein, Ayoub Alawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Issa Laaye, Lucas Mendes, Sultan Al-Brake, Homam Al-Amin

Midfielders: Mohammed Al-Manai, Jassem Jaber, Karim Boudiaf, Ahmed Fathi, Abdulaziz Hatem, Assim Madibo

Forwards: Tahseen Mohammed, Edmilson Junior, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Mohammed Muntari, Youssef Abdulrazzaq, Ahmed Alaa, Hassan Al-Haydos, Ahmed Al-Janahi.–REUTERS

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المصدر: New Straits Times