DOHA: The majority of Qatar’s fans will be nervously watching from a distance on Friday as their World Cup squad faces Canada after spending the previous four months in a state of near-lockdown.
Since June 2, all of their games have been played in secret, and the Qatar Football Association has even barred sponsors from training camps in Spain and Austria as they get their players ready for a baptism of fire—their first World Cup appearance on home soil—in 60 days.
The lowest-ranked team in Group A is Qatar, which is placed 48th overall by FIFA. Since June 2, all of their games have been played in secret, and the Qatar Football Association has even barred sponsors from training camps in Spain and Austria as they get their players ready for a baptism of fire—their first World Cup appearance on home soil—in 60 days.
Qatar is eager to see the national team get through the first round after spending tens of billions of dollars preparing for the first World Cup to be held in an Arab country and being paired with Netherlands, Senegal, and Ecuador.
But on Tuesday, they suffered a 3-0 defeat against a Croatian under-23 squad in secret. Furthermore, even if the friendly matches against Chile on Tuesday and Canada on Friday in Vienna are merely for the general public, they will be viewed as important tests of the team’s resilience under Spanish coach Felix Sanchez.
According to team spokesman Ali Salat, Sanchez and the QFA had agreed to keep the 30 players out of Qatar and away from curious opponents’ prying eyes.
The lowest-ranked team in Group A is Qatar, which is placed 48th overall by FIFA. Sanchez was appointed coach in 2017 with the goal of having an influence this season.