Sport
Qatar to play friendlies against Bahrain and Russia before World Cup Asian play offs
August 06, 2025 | 09:38 PM
As part of its preparations for the Asian play-off matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Qatar’s national football team will play two friendly matches in September.Al Annabi will first face Bahrain on Wednesday, September 3, at Al Thumama Stadium, followed by a clash against Russia on Sunday, September 7, at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, home of Al Sadd Club.These friendlies serve as crucial tests for head coach Julen Lopetegui and his staff to assess player readiness and finalise the ideal squad ahead of October’s decisive qualifiers.Qatar will host all Group A matches in the continental play-off round, beginning with a match against Oman on October 8, followed by a fixture against the UAE on October 14 — both at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. The UAE and Oman will meet on October 11.The winner of Group A will secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup. The runner-up will face the second-placed team from Group B — which includes hosts Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Indonesia — in a two-legged play-off on November 13 and 18. The victor of that tie will advance to the intercontinental play-off.Having debuted in the FIFA World Cup 2022 as hosts, Qatar are now aiming to qualify on merit for the first time. Their preparations under Lopetegui have intensified, including a recent training camp in Austria. The camp saw the surprise return of veteran forward Hassan al-Haydos, who came out of international retirement. Another key inclusion in the preliminary squad was Al Sadd midfielder Guilherme Torres, receiving his first-ever call-up for Qatar.Lopetegui, who replaced Luis Garcia earlier this year, had led the team to a win over Iran before a narrow loss to Uzbekistan in the third round. The upcoming friendlies offer a final opportunity to evaluate the squad and make adjustments ahead of the crucial October qualifiers.During their recent training camp in Austria, Qatar played two friendly matches — winning 2-0 against Ukrainian side Metalist Kharkiv and losing 0-3 to Italian club Udinese.
August 06, 2025 | 09:38 PM