Qatar U-23 squad train ahead of the Asian Games opener

Qatar’s Under-23 football team were in full training mode yesterday as they prepared for their Asian Games opening match against Thailand.
Al Anabi, who are in Group B, will open their campaign at the 30,000 capacity Pakansari Stadium, west of Jakarta, tomorrow at 3pm Qatar time. They then face Uzbekistan on August 16, before finishing their group engagements with a match against Bangladesh on August 19. The top two teams from each group will progress to the round of 16.
Qatar is expected to return with a medal, having finished third in the AFC U-23 championship in China earlier this year. But they will miss several players who starred in the tournament.
Spanish coach Unai Melgosa announced the 21-member squad on Tuesday, with key players Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Basam al-Rawi and Abdullah Abdulsalam not included. The quartet will appear for Al Duhail and Al Sadd in their AFC Champions League quarter-finals slated for later this month.
In their absence, Tamim al-Muhaize and Hazem Ahmed will carry their nation’s hopes. The national arrived in Jakarta on Thursday in Jakarta, where the Asian Games will be held from August 18-Septetmber 2.
The football competition, however, started last Friday. All countries participating at the Asian Games will be represented by a U-23 squad (born on or after 1 January 1995) with three overaged players allowed.
Qatar did not send a team in the last edition of the Asiad held in Incheon, South Korea. In the 2010 Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China, they had finished ninth, losing to Uzbekistan in extra time in round of 16.
South Korea are the favourites to retain the gold medal, they won four years back in Incheon. Tottenham star Son Heung-min, who had an impressive World Cup in Russia with South Korea, will captain his side. The midfielder is gunning for nothing but gold in Jakarta, or else he will be required to enrol in the military. South Korean men are required by law to start participating in military service by the age of 27, typically for a duration of 21 months. As Son is 26 years old, he would have to enrol in the military within the next year.
However, the Spurs forward would be able to be exempt from the service if he were to win gold with South Korea at the Asian Games. Bronze or silver would not be enough – he would have to win the top prize with his country.

Qatar U-23 Squad: Ahmed Moin, Khaled Munir, Abdul Rahman Mohamed, Hazem Ahmed, Adel Bader, Mishal Ibrahim, Hatem Kamal, Tariq Salman, Tamim al-Muhaize, Elias Ahmed, Ahmed al-Saadi, Saud Farhan, Mashaal al-Shammari, Mohamed al-Bakri, Yazen Naim, Jassim Mohamed, Marwan Sharif, Omar al-Emadi, Nasser al-Nasr, Ahmed Fadel and Mohamed Saeed.
Coach: Unai Melgosa