Doha, December 30 (QNA) – Qatar national team continued its preparations at Aspire Academy for the Arab Gulf Cup (Gulf 25) which would be held in Basra city in Iraq from Jan. 6 to 19.
The Portuguese coach, Bruno Miguel Pinheiro, intensified the training sessions to achieve the required readiness, to compete for the title of the “Gulf 25” with a team which includes many Olympic and youth players, along with some who participated in the World Cup Qatar 2022.
The team will continue its training until the date of travel to Basra, which will be announced later.
The Gulf Cup is an important opportunity to pump new blood in the team to strengthen the ranks of the national team reflect their presence at the 2023 Asian Cup football tournament which will be held in Qatar, the Gold Cup Championship, and to defend their title in Doha. The Portuguese coach led Qatar’s Olympic team to the final of the West Asian Federation championship last November.
The national team relies on a combination of experienced and young players, following the end of the World Cup, there are a number of players who have proven their outstanding presence in the current league’s season.
The Portuguese coach announced 27 players to represent the Qatari national team.
The tournament will begin with the opening match on Jan. 6 between the hosts country Iraq and Oman, at the Basra International Stadium, where the first group included Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Oman, and the second group included Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has decided to play the tournament, with Qatar’s QNB Stars League Championship competitions to begin on Jan. 4, after a break which began since Sept. 14. (QNA)