Doha: Qatar entered the final phase of the preparations for their opening match of the third round of Asian Qualifiers for FIFA 2026 World Cup against the United Arab Emirates at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, which is expected to operate at full capacity on Thursday.

Within a few days from the start of ticket sales, 75 percent of seats have already been secured by the fans for the highly-anticipated clash at the 45000-capacity venue, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) announced yesterday.

The team’s training camp that started last week under the supervision of head coach Marquez Lopez has picked top gear as the two-time Asian champions look to emulate their performance of the second round in which they stayed unbeaten topping their group to advance in the qualifiers.

Qatar’s Akram Afif in action.

Qatar will need a top-two finish in their group to earn direct qualification for the World Cup and avoid the following stages in the Asian Qualifiers. They will also face Asian giants Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea. Lopez’s side will take North Korea in their second match on September 10 in Laos but currently their focus is on the opening match against the neighbouring side.

“All our focus is on getting the three points from our opening match of this crucial round. We respect UAE which is a strong side and we will need to give our best against them,” Qatar’s Jassem Gabir had said during a training session open to media at the weekend.

“We will give our all-out effort to make our fans happy on our home ground.”

Qatar squad mostly comprises players who helped the side retain their Asian Cup crown at home earlier this year.

Lopez’s blend of experienced and young players includes seasoned forwards Almoez Ali and Akram Afif along with the likes of youngsters Tamim Mansour and Yusuf Abdurisag.

Meanwhile, the organisational preparations are also in full swing to host the game in a befitting manner. Special arrangements have been planned for fans with QFA’s Director of Marketing and Communications Khaled Mubarak Al Kuwari saying: “Our fans are always influential in the stadium and there is a surprise awaiting them in the stands.”

“Everyone is a partner with us in our journey to the 2026 World Cup. We achieved large audience attendance rates in previous Al Annabi matches and the scene will be repeated,” he said in a recent statement.

The QFA also launched a fan initiative aiming to enhance the roles of Qatar supporters in their quest to qualify for the World Cup.