2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Rival Watch: Qatar

Qatar won their last game by 7 goals against Afghanistan

The Indian football team are set to host Qatar in their first home game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round two qualifiers on Tuesday, 21st November. India will be facing the 2022 World Cup hosts and a team that are coming off an 8-1 demolition of Afghanistan.

Igor Stimac is well aware of how important the home matches are for India’s chances of making it to the Round 3 of qualifying. But going with an aggressive approach against this Qatar side can bring consequences because of the quality and goal-scoring pedigree of the opposition side.  

About the Team

The Qatar national team started to properly partake in international football from the 1960s onwards and have come quite a long way since then. They made themselves proud by hosting the 2022 World Cup, allowing them to take part in their first-ever World Cup as well. The Maroons are the highest-ranked team in their World Cup qualifiers group, sitting in the 61st spot in the latest rankings.

Despite their shaky record on the world stage, Qatar have had a pretty solid record in Asia. They are the defending AFC Asian Cup champions and qualified for every single one of the Asian Cup editions in this century. Along with that, they have also won the Arabian Gulf Cup three times and the WAFF Championship once.

Recent Performances

Before their win over Afghanistan, Qatar had prepared for the World Cup qualifiers by playing 15 matches in 2023. However, their record in this calendar year has actually been pretty woeful as they have only won three of their competitive matches so far.

The Maroons suffered crushing losses to the likes of Iran, Kenya and Panama over the last few months and failed to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup or the Jordan International Tournament earlier this year, being unable to pick up their performances after losing all of their matches at the 2022 World Cup.

The Coach

Carlos Queiroz succeeded Felix Sanchez as Qatar’s head coach in February 2023, coming in with a lot of experience and wisdom around his belt. Queiroz has been a football manager for over the last three decades, having worked in a variety of roles.

He helped Portugal win the FIFA Youth Championship and the UEFA U-16 Euros in the 1990s, before doing a good job with Sporting CP too. In 2003, he joined in as Manchester United’s assistant manager under Sir Alex Ferguson and was praised for his impressive coaching ability, helping the coach implement his tactics and playing a key role in Cristiano Ronaldo’s development.

After that, Queiroz managed Portugal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup to a Round of 16 finish. He did a good job as Iran’s manager from 2011 to 2019, helping them qualify for two World Cup editions. Queiroz has had a shaky start at Qatar, only guiding them to three wins in 10 games.

Queiroz plays a 4-3-3 formation against weaker teams, urging his side to move through the wide areas and be quick on the transitions. He’ll look to motivate them to put India under utmost pressure and cause them to make mistakes in order for Qatar to take control of their group.

Players to Watch

Almoez Ali

The biggest threat in the Qatar attack is arguably their decisive striker Almoez Ali, who is coming off a four-goal haul against Afghanistan. The Al-Duhail striker has an incredible 46 goals in 90 appearances for the Maroons, averaging almost one goal every two games.

Ali has also scored four goals and provided six assists in 12 appearances for his club this season and is flying high on form. He is very quick with his movement around the final third and can also come in deep to help with the build-up play or create chances.

He knows exactly how to lose his marker and sneak into the key scoring areas, while also boasting ruthless finishing ability. Ali will look to torment India with his unpredictable style and maintain his good form to help Qatar get a big win.

Hassan Al-Haydos

The most experienced player in the Qatar team and their captain, Hassan Al-Haydos has been an admirable servant for the Maroons. In his 128 competitive appearances for them, he has scored 32 goals and provided 16 assists. Al-Haydos is menacing with his dribbling ability and tendency to cut in from the wide areas to cause mayhem.

The 32-year-old can easily create big chances with his innovative crosses if given too much space in the final third. He is also quite prolific in putting away chances and will look to use his experience to outwit the Indian players. Al-Haydos caused India major issues in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and looks to do just that in the upcoming clash.

Akram Afif

Akram Afif is another Qatar star flying high on momentum heading into the clash against India. He has scored 9 goals and provided six assists in just 10 matches for Al-Sadd this season, and created a string of chances as well as bagging an assist against Afghanistan  

The left-winger is blessed with impressive pace and the ability to surge past his marker with ease. He is especially decisive in the key areas around the opposition box, knowing exactly what to do to get among the goals. Not only can Afif create chances with his innovative passes, but he has the hunger to go all the way to emphatically finish off moves and will look to run riot against the Indian backline.

What to Expect

Qatar are flying high on confidence and will look to dominate India in their own yard in the upcoming clash. The Maroons are aware of how stubborn India can be defensively, but they have a number of forwards surging with momentum and capable of ousting the Indian backline.

The Maroons will look to be innovative with their attacks and patient with their build-up play to break open the hosts. They’ll also look to be alert in the transitions and set-pieces, knowing those are the areas India will look to hit them. Expect Qatar to dominate the majority of the possession in this qualifier and knowing their threatening players, it’ll take India a super defensive showing to get anything out of this game.

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