The Qatar national football team concluded its final training session ahead of their opening match against the UAE in Group 1 of the 26th Arab Gulf Cup, at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait, on Saturday.

Friday’s training session, held at Kazma Club Stadium, was led by Spanish head coach Luis Garcia. He focused on finalizing the team’s line-up and strategies, aiming for a strong start to the tournament.

All players attended the session, except for star forward Akram Afif, who was absent due to personal reasons. Coach Garcia expressed optimism about his team’s readiness despite Afif’s absence.

Saad Al Kuwari, Qatar team’s media official, emphasized the thorough preparation during the lead-up to the tournament.

“The preparation period went well under the guidance of Coach Luis Garcia. His familiarity with the players, having previously served as assistant to former head coach Marquez Lopez, has been instrumental in ensuring seamless communication and a smooth transition,” he was quoted as saying by Qatar News Agency.

Regarding Akram Afif’s availability for the match, Al Kuwari said the player’s absence was temporary.

“Akram is included in the final squad, and if conditions permit, he’ll join the team for the competition. His absence was due to personal reasons,” he said.

The 26th Arab Gulf Cup will officially commence on Saturday with an opening ceremony at the Jaber Al Ahmad International Stadium. The inaugural match between hosts Kuwait and Oman will follow it. The tournament will run until January 3, 2025.

The Qatari team arrived in Kuwait on Thursday evening, after concluding their training camp in Doha. Garcia, who recently replaced his compatriot Marquez Lopez, 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 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 the Emirati team prevailed with a 3-1 win 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 will enter the game in high spirits following their 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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