Al Annabi to battle Iraq’s Lions of Mesopotamia as 24th Arabian Gulf Cup kicks off today
The 24th Arabian Gulf Cup campaign will get underway today with continental champions and tournament hosts Qatar taking on Iraq at the recently-revamped Khalifa International Stadium in Doha with the kick off set at 7:30 pm local time.
The opening match is expected to bear all the hallmark of a revenge mission for the coach Felix Sanchez’s boys as they will be all out to avenge the 2-1 loss they suffered at the hands of the Iraqis the last time they met at the region’s biggest football show – the 2017 edition held in Kuwait City.
The tournament, being held in Qatar for the fourth time, is also expected to serve as a redemption of sort for the Barcelona-born Sanchez whose team bowed out of the last edition in the group stage after finishing third with just four points with their only win being the 4-0 defeat of Yemen in their first match.
Judging by recent exploits, however, Qatar’s Al Annabi, who are pitched in Group A alongside Iraq, Yemen and the UAE, are definitely one of the favorites to lift the regional trophy especially after their Asian Cup triumph earlier this year. The win against the Lions of Mesopotamia will boost the team’s confidence and set them in good stead for the mission of claiming an unprecedented two major trophies in the same year.
Going into today’s match, all odds appear to be in favor of three-time champions Qatar, who have remained unbeaten in 13 matches played against Asian opponents since the start of 2019.
For one, the bulk of the history-making squad is still intact with 2019 Asian Cup best player and top scorer Almoez Ali, team captain Hassan al Haydos, Akram Afif and others remaining the face of the team, despite the recent introduction of new young and ambitious players to the team by Sanchez.
Aside from this, the turmoil in Iraq’s camp, who are battling with a depleted squad with only 13 players including two goalkeepers at training on Monday, expectedly tilts the balance more to the Qataris side who are playing at full strength.
However, in football, as in any other sports, nothing is cast in stone and the supposed underdogs can sometimes upset the apple cart and Qatar must be wary of the threats posed by the Iraqis who are also three-time champions, and the team currently leading their group in the World Cup and Asian Cup joint qualifiers, if they want to start on a winning note.
Addressing a pre-match press conference on Monday, Sanchez said his team are not leaving anything to chances even when playing against the depleted but definitely ‘hungry pride of Lions.’
“The teams we will play against are strong and Iraq are a good team. We have played against them three times recently and are well organized. They are here to compete and we know this very well. Yes, it is a difficult game but I am happy to face Iraq,” he said.
“A good start tomorrow is very important. It’s not that if we win tomorrow we will go on and win the tournament and if we lose we will do badly in the tournament. But a good start against Iraq gives you a good feeling for the following games. Iraq are physically strong and have good quality players and we know it’s going to be a difficult game,” the Barcelona-born Qatari tactician added.
Sanchez will be banking on the deadly strike force partnership of Almoez Ali, Asian Cup leading scorer, and Akram Afif to notch up the goals just like they did in the UAE while captain Al Haydos and Karim Boudiaf run the show in midfield and Abdulkarim Hassan remains in charge of the defense as they face the rampage of the Lions.
Al Haydos, who is also the most-capped player, said the team are in good shape for the tournament and that preparation for the Gulf Cup started a while back.
“The opener won’t be easy but the team have proved they can cope in difficult matches. We have been playing together for a long time. Iraq won’t be easy but we have also had some difficult games before. We believe in teamwork and the national team success is more important than scoring goals. We want to bring joy to our fans again after the Asian Cup,” the Al Sadd forward added.
For the Iraqis, optimism is the name of the game and the team remains hopeful of achieving a good result, their setbacks notwithstanding.
“I have 11 players and two goalkeepers, so I’d like to say the preparations have been going well,” coach Srecko Katanec said. “I don’t know what will happen but I will give opportunities to the players I have and hopefully they will surprise me, they need to take the chance.”
“I know we are playing a top team with top organization, but in football even in a bad situation, you still expect something. That’s the beauty of football,” the former Slovenia international added.
Whichever way the pendulum swings at the Khalifa International Stadium today, however, one thing is definitely sure – the feast of football has begun and the fans are definitely in for a good time of regional rivalry on the field of play until December 8 when the final match will be played.
Qatar Living wishes Team Qatar the best of luck! Stay tuned to our pages for more updates.
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