Asian champions Qatar will be looking to wrap up this phase of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 European Qualifiers with a win against Luxembourg on Tuesday.
Coached by Felix Sanchez, Qatar are aiming to break a two-match losing streak after losses to Serbia and former European champions Portugal over the weekend.
“Luxembourg have key players who are capable of causing trouble to any defence, and we need to be alert and as balanced as possible. This phase of the qualifying is very demanding on so many levels. However, it is a valuable experience for our growth as a team,” Sanchez said on the eve of the match that is set to take place in the newly-built Stade de Luxembourg.
The Asian champions are part of Group A of the European qualifying to gain match practice ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Two of Qatar’s players – Meshaal Barsham and Boualem Khoukhi – will not be available for selection after picking up red cards against Portugal on Saturday.
“Against Portugal, although we could not tie the game after conceding two goals in the first half, the players made great efforts throughout the match. We played well, especially in the second half, in which we improved in every metric,” Sanchez said.
However, coach Sanchez will be hoping for a goalscoring spree against Luxembourg from strikers Almoez Ali and Akram Afif, and influential captain Hassan al-Haydos and key defender Abdulkarim Hassan who found the net against Portugal.
Sanchez has repeatedly said Qatar stands to gain by playing against top European teams like Serbia, ranked 29 in the world, and Portugal, ranked 8.
In recent times, Qatar have also appeared in Copa America and CONCACAF Gold Cup to enhance player experience ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Qatar are ranked 42 in the world, whereas Luxembourg, coached by Luc Holtz, are ranked 96 on the FIFA rankings.
After their trip to Europe, the Qatar squad will fly back to Doha, and then players will disperse to appear for their clubs ahead of the start of the new season of the QNB Stars League.