Current form, squad… What is the Qatar team really worth?

This will be one of the attractions of this 2022 World Cup. The Qatar team, the organizing country, will play the very first World Cup in its history and will have the honor of opening the ball this Sunday against Ecuador (17 hours), in a match to follow live and in full on Europe 1, official radio. The gas emirate will present to the eyes of the whole world a selection that is still largely unknown. Placed in Group A with Senegal, the Netherlands and Ecuador, its chances of qualifying for the round of 16, however, seem very slim.

Asian Champions in 2019

And yet, Qatar has already distinguished itself on the international scene by winning the Asian Cup at the beginning of 2019. A modest competition compared to the Euro, the Copa America or the African Cup of Nations , but in which South Korea, Australia and Japan participated. A Japanese selection, eighth finalist at the 2018 World Cup, justly beaten in the final (3-1) by Qatar. A notable performance but which has never really been confirmed at the higher level.

Also in 2019, Qatar is participating in the Copa America in Brazil – equivalent to the Euro for South American selections – as a “guest country”. After an inaugural draw against Paraguay (2-2), the Qataris lost to Colombia (1-0) then Argentina (2-0) and therefore did not pass the group hurdle.

In 2021, Qatar is invited to play in the Gold Cup, a competition that brings together the best teams in North America. And made quite a good impression by climbing to the semi-finals of the event. A result to be put into perspective, however, given the much lower adversity than during the Copa America.

Automatically qualified for this 2022 World Cup, as host country, Félix Sanchez’s men had nevertheless been placed in a group of playoffs in the Europe zone. Confronted at a very high level, the Qataris quickly showed their limits, losing twice 4-0 against Serbia then twice against Portugal (3-0 then 3-1).

Modest players who know each other perfectly

It must be said that even the most experienced in football find themselves in trouble when it comes to quoting the Qatari workforce. All of the players called up by Félix Sanchez play in the national championship and have almost never played in any European competition. Their experience at very high level is logically very limited.

Among the brave few to have tried the experience on the Old Continent, we can mention Akram Afif, attacker with 86 caps but who has only had around forty matches with the modest Belgian club Eupen and only nine with the Spaniards from Sporting Gijon. Among the players to watch, we can also mention his attacking partner, Almoez Ali, born in Sudan and then naturalized. The Al Duhail striker, another part of this selection, was one of the great architects of the Asian championship title in 2019, scoring nine goals in seven matches during the competition.

Two players who perfectly symbolize the stability that this Qatari selection can boast of and embodied by its coach Félix Sanchez, at the head of the team since 2017. The Spaniard, who has been living in Qatar since 2006, was in the past in charge of young selections and knows this workforce perfectly, accustomed to evolving together for several years. A notable continuity which will undoubtedly represent the main asset of this Qatar which will have a hard time shaking up the hierarchy.