The 2023 Asian Cup will take place in Qatar next January and should give some clues as to whether the team can build on progress made before the World Cup and learn from the failures during it. It helps that there is another major international tournament before long. Whether the former Real Madrid coach is the man to oversee a rebuild of personnel, confidence and style remains to be seen. He brings a pragmatism and tactical nous that were missing at the World Cup, when his talent at creating a siege mentality could also have been useful. The arrival of Queiroz, one of the most experienced coaches in the game and well-respected in the region after his time with Iran, is a sign in some respects. ![]() Given the disappointment in November and the miserable Under-20 Asian Cup campaign, the question is whether Qatar will slip back into their previous position as a second-tier Asian country or keep striving to be a leading continental force. The World Cup focused minds and was the culmination of years of preparation and investment. The players froze against Ecuador, on paper the weakest opponents in the group, and will likely have to live for some time with being the worst hosts in history. There were also more general worries that, despite efforts to give the team as much international exposure as possible through an unprecedented preparation programme, the occasion could be too much. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPAīut there were some concerns that going into November that he was overly loyal to the Asian Cup winners and had introduced little new blood in the almost four years since. After the Asian Cup triumph and the other international tournaments, most thought Sánchez – who started working at Doha’s Aspire Academy in 2006, came up through the age ranks with many of the players and took the senior job in 2017 – was on the right track.Ĭarlos Queiroz, seen here celebrating with the Iranian players after their 2022 World Cup group stage win over Wales, is respected in Asian football. Perhaps it was once but the improvements made had increased expectations. It is debatable as to whether being competitive was the goal. But sometimes the match does not play out as you expect. “We’ve been working for so many months to be able to give a good performance. “Our goal was to be competitive,” said Sánchez, who looks set to be heading in the opposite direction to Queiroz to take the Iran job. It started badly with a dismal display against Ecuador and, despite improved performances against Senegal and the Netherlands, petered out. Then came the World Cup, a debut appearance they had been building towards for 12 long years. ![]() They were then competitive at the Copa América a few months later and impressed in the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2021, winning their group and losing their semi-final 1-0 to the USA as Ali became top scorer at a second international tournament. Asian football had several new stars and a new force. The Maroons had been dominant in winning the 2019 Asian Cup, scoring 19 goals and conceding one as they defeated the traditional continental powers Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan on their way to lifting the trophy for the first time.Īlmoez Ali scored nine, a tournament record, Akram Afif was sublime in creating chances and there were others. ![]() Four years ago Qatar were in football dreamland.
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