(MENAFN– Gulf Times) The Qatari national team will face its UAE counterpart tomorrow, Saturday, at Jaber Al-Mubarak Stadium, marking the start of its journey in Group A of the 26th edition of Arabian Gulf Cup, hosted by Kuwait and continuing until January 3.

“Al-Annabi” team seeks an ideal start in “Gulf 26” to pave its way toward qualifying for semifinals from a group that also includes the host team Kuwait and Oman, who will meet on the same day at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium following the tournament’s opening ceremony.

The Qatari team arrived in Kuwait on Thursday evening after concluding a training camp in Doha that began on December 12 under the guidance of its new coach, Luis Garcia, recently appointed to replace his compatriot, Marquez Lopez.

Garcia has announced a final squad of 26 players for the tournament, including three goalkeepers: Marwan Sharif (Al-Ahli), Meshaal Barsham (Al-Sadd), and Salah Zakaria (Al-Duhail).

The squad also includes Ahmed Al-Rawi (Al-Rayyan); Sultan Al-Brek, Almoez Ali, Abdullah Al-Ahrak, Homam Al-Amin, and Mubarak Shannan (Al-Duhail); Ibrahim Al-Hassan and Mohammed Khalid (Calahorra, Spain); Abdulrahman Mustafa and Baha Lythy (Al-Ahli); Lucas Mendes and Abdulaziz Khalid (Al-Wakrah); Akram Afif, Youssef Abdulrazzaq, Tarek Salman, and Mustafa Tariq (Al-Sadd); Ahmed Fathi and Jassem Jaber (Al-Arabi); Rabah Boussafi, Asim Madibo, Abdullah Youssef, and Mohammed Muntari (Al-Gharafa); and Al-Hashemi Al-Hussein (Alcorcon, Spain).

The Qatari team will hold its final training session today at Kazma Club Stadium in Kuwait, preparing for the match against UAE. The technical staff will finalize the lineup and tactical plan, while coach Garcia will hold a press conference at the main media center to discuss the opening match of the tournament.

The Asian champion in last two editions (2019 and 2023) aims for a turnaround, correcting the image shown in the six rounds of Group A matches in World Cup qualifiers, where the team managed only two wins and a draw against three losses.

The Qatari team finished fourth in Group A with 7 points, three points behind third-placed UAE, six points behind second-placed Uzbekistan (13 points), and nine points behind group leader Iran (16 points). This position complicated chances of direct qualification to World Cup finals by securing one of top two spots in the group. Consequently, Qatar may need to seek qualification through fourth stage, which involves six teams divided into two groups. The winners of each group qualify for the World Cup, while the runners-up compete in a continental playoff for a spot in the intercontinental playoff.

This situation prompted a change in coaching staff, with Marquez Lopez being replaced despite leading the team to win the 2023 Asian Cup title. The federation entrusted assistant coach Luis Garcia with steering the team back on track and regaining its shine in crucial competitions like the Gulf Cup.

The Qatari team possesses all the elements to revive its stellar form from the continental tournament, with influential players like Akram Afif, Asia’s Best Player in 2023, top scorer, and Best Player of the last Asian Cup, alongside Almoez Ali, the top scorer and Best Player of the 2019 Asian Cup.

The squad for the Gulf tournament includes several young players with promising potential seeking opportunities to showcase their talent. However, some notable names are absent, such as Al-Duhail’s Edmilson Junior, Al-Wakrah defender Abdelkarim Hassan, Al-Sadd’s Boualem Khoukhi, and Al-Rayyan’s Abdulaziz Hatem.

The clash with UAE will be a repeat of two recent encounters in the World Cup qualifiers, where Emirati team prevailed with a 3-1 victory in Doha and a 5-0 win in the UAE, making this match an opportunity for Qatar to amend its course.

On the other hand, UAE team enters the game with high morale following positive results in the last two rounds of World Cup qualifiers, defeating Kyrgyzstan and Qatar to secure 10 points and third place in the group.

In their last 15 Gulf Cup encounters, Qatar has held the upper hand against the UAE, winning six matches compared to three victories for the Emirati team, with six draws. Qatar scored 17 goals in these matches while conceding 14.

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