After a day’s rest, Qatar players returned to training on Friday in Rio de Janeiro as they prepare for the Copa America, to be held in Brazil from June 14 to July 7. Felix Sanchez’s men had lost to five-time world champions Brazil 0-2 in an international friendly on Wednesday.
Tomorrow, Qatar will play a closed-doors match against a Brazilian club side. At the Copa America, Qatar who are in Group B, will open their campaign against Paraguay on June 16 at the prestigious Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. They then face Colombia on June 19, before taking on Lionel Messi’s Argentina on June 23. Qatar has never played in the Copa America before and will be using the experience of the tournament to get used to a higher standard of football ahead of their hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Chile are the two-time defending champions, having won the 2015 and 2016 editions of the tournament, though host nation Brazil will be eager to win their first major title since 2013 on home turf.