Qatar coach Marquez Lopez expressed his optimism about achieving victory over the UAE national team, in the first round of the third and final stage of the Asian World Cup Qualifiers 2026, during a press conference held today, Wednesday.
And meets Qatar national team With its Emirati counterpart tomorrow, Thursday, at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium at Al Rayyan Club, at exactly 7 pm Doha and Mecca time, and 8 pm UAE time.
Qatar coach Marquez Lopez began his statements by talking about the Al Annabi preparations, saying: “We have made serious preparations during the past few days, so that we will be ready in the best conditions, hoping that we will be able to qualify for the World Cup. We know that it is a difficult task. The Qatari team participated once as host of the tournament in the last edition. The road will be difficult and arduous.”
“In football there are no easy teams, all teams have the same chances, the road will be difficult but we trust our players and our capabilities, we have great opportunities to advance step by step, but it will not be easy for any team in the group,” the Spanish coach continued, adding: “We hope that the fans will be present in force to achieve our goal.”
Regarding the selected list of players, the Qatari coach added: “When selecting the players, we expect them to be the best to be on the list. There is a suitable formation for the match against Kuwait and another for the match against… The UAE For example, I have more than 7 years of coaching experience in Qatar. In some matches we repeat the same formation, and in some matches we change, but the field is open to all players, and I trust them, and I am convinced that those present are the best currently for the first and second round matches.
Qatar coach: We studied the opponent well and our mission will not be easy
He added about facing the UAE: “It will be a football match. We have studied the opponent well, and we also have experience with such teams. We faced them in the last Asian Cup. They are an organized team led by a good coach. It will not be an easy match, and I asked the players to remain focused throughout the match.”
The Al Annabi coach continued: “In football there is no such thing as confidence. There are statistics, but they are not good for anything. We must not keep in mind that we will face the same team that we faced before. The coach and players have changed. I did not give any instructions to the players that we are better or stronger than the opponent.”
“I tried to transfer the same mentality to the players (that was in the 2024 Asian Cup), I saw them working with the same diligence, they are compatible with my way of working, and they are trying to qualify for the first time through the qualifiers to the World Cup, I think there is no greater motivation than qualifying for the World Cup,” Marquez Lopez concluded.
Almoez Ali: Our team is ready and our goal is to reach the World Cup
Qatari striker Almoez Ali attended the press conference alongside Marquez Lopez, and said about the UAE match: “Our team is ready for this match, and we realize the importance of the qualifiers. As players, we seek to achieve results that qualify us for the World Cup. We have been working for 10 days, and we worked with enthusiasm, and all the players have a great desire to undergo this experience.”
He added: “The match against the UAE national team is the opening match and we are determined to win its points. The team is ready for the match, and playing in our stadium and in front of our fans gives us a great incentive. When we see our fans, this gives us a great motivation. During the Asian Cup, the fans gave us great strength, and this makes us feel that we have a people who stand behind us and support us to achieve victories.”
“We are focused on one goal, which is to reach the World Cup. We were Asian champions twice in a row, and qualifying for the World Cup remains the most important thing for us this year, compared to our matches with our clubs in the league. We are ready for these qualifiers, and I feel comfortable with the players and the coach. We are excited to start the qualifiers strongly. We will play on our home ground, and this gives us a great incentive to achieve victory and continue our dream,” the Al Duhail striker added.
