In a lip-smacking game, Qatar set to take on Saudi Arabia at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup

If ever there was a game Qatari football fans were looking forward to, it is the national team’s clash against Saudi Arabia in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

With the game all set to take place today evening, anticipation for the clash is mounting. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that it will be the first time the two teams are coming face to face since the start of the illegal blockade in June 2017.

Both teams are coming into the match at Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium after convincing wins — the Saudis beat Lebanon 2-0 while Qatar registered a 6-0 thrashing of North Korea.

The match, which will decide the top spot in Group E, will be played against the backdrop of a regional political dispute, which saw Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut all political, diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar.

“We want to win this match, not because of the political matters but to get to the top of the table,” Qatar Football Association’s (QFA) media officer Ali Al Salat was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

“There’s no need to mix political issues with sports,” he stressed.

The group winners will face Group D runners-up, either Iran or Iraq, while the runners-up will go up against the top-placed team from Group F — either Japan or Uzbekistan.

Qatar’s Spanish coach Felix Sanchez said his team prepared for the game against Saudi Arabia just as they did for the ties against Lebanon and DPR Korea.

“We’re doing the same as we’ve done for the other games, but we know it’s a match which will decide top spot. We’ll plan well, as we did for the other matches, as we want to win the group,” Sanchez was quoted as saying by Gulf Times.

“It’s going to be a tough game but hopefully, we can get the result we desire,” added the Spaniard.

Sanchez said Qatar’s confidence had been boosted by their two wins so far — a 2-0 triumph over a tough Lebanon and a 6-0 defeat of DPR Korea, which saw Almoez Ali scoring four goals.

“We’re very proud of our performance, especially in the last game. It was an excellent result, but we must keep looking forward. The focus now is on Saudi Arabia, and we must plan for a good game,” he said.

The coach hailed his players for their determination to do well in the AFC Asian Cup.

“Their focus has been only on the tournament, and they’ve been working very hard before we came here and even now. The players are all progressing well, and that’s very important,” he told The Peninsula.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia will renew a sporting rivalry that dates back to the 70s.

Saudi Arabia leads the head-to-head with 17 wins and six losses. 

It is the highest-ranked Gulf side in the world at 69 and is hoping to avenge its 2014 loss to Qatar in Riyadh. Qatar won the match at the 2014 Gulf Cup 2-1 en route its third title.

The match will begin at 7 pm Doha time.