Qatar eager for Brazil test as Copa beckons

Qatar Coach Felix Sanchez feels playing heavyweights Brazil and Argentina will provide a rare opportunity for his players to test their skills against star players. The Qatar squad are training in Porto Belo, a coastal town near Rio, as they prepare for the Copa America, which will be held across Brazil June 15 to July 7.
While they are scheduled to face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the group stages, the Asian Cup champions will take on Neymar’s Brazil in a friendly match on Thursday at 3:30am Qatar Time at the Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia.
On his players facing Messi and Neymar, Sanchez said: “Messi and Neymar are certainly two great stars of unique ability. Going up against them will be of great benefit to our players. As for the psychological part, I believe we have professional players who know well what’s required of them in such confrontations. But in general, I see these two games as a great opportunity to face two teams and all their players, not just two stars. That’s where the benefit is in these kinds of games.”
Sanchez, who was speaking to fifa.com, believes Qatar’s participation in Copa America will be a ‘significant step’ for his young team, who are more or less will spearhead the country’s World Cup Challenge in 2022 at home.
“Our participation in the Copa America can be seen as a significant step in our journey towards the World Cup, a journey that we started some time ago. In Brazil, we’ll play against experienced teams that are certainly of a higher calibre than what we saw at the Asian tournament. Our group includes Argentina, whose abilities are well known, and Colombia, who are exceptionally good performers, whether at World Cups or the Copa America. Paraguay also boast a pedigreed history. So, I believe these matches will serve as an important staging post for me and the players. They’ll tell us where we currently stand and what we need to do in the next phase,” he said.
“You have to always focus on your overriding goal. The state of Qatar is heading towards a historic event: hosting the 2022 World Cup. We need to make sure the squad are in top form and up to the nation’s expectations. This means that we’ll not be participating just for its own sake, but that we’re determined to leave our mark on World Cup history, especially since this will be Qatar’s first World Cup,” Sanchez added.
The 43-year-old coach said he wants his players to show the South American audience the progress they have made in recent times and also gain experience playing in a high-profile tournament. “Since our squad has many young players, we look forward to gaining as much experience as possible in this high-profile tournament. Specifically, that means experiencing the Latin American style of play and taking part in a major tournament in front of many fans.” 
“It will also allow us to address important details on and off the pitch. I want the team to perform in a proper and honourable way and demonstrate that they’ve progressed. That’s not just measured in accumulating points and progressing to the next round, but if that happens, it would of course be great,” Sanchez added.