Qatar arrive home ahead of their World Cup opener

Qatar defenders Bassam al-Rawi (left) and Boualem Khoukhi arrive in Doha.

The Qatar squad reached Doha yesterday early morning after a training camp in Spain, where they were preparing for their World Cup debut at home. The Asian Champions checked into Al Aziziyah Boutique Hotel at Aspire Zone before taking a well-earned rest on Monday. Felix Sanchez’s men, however, will be back on the training pitches today as they gear up to face Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor on November 20. The Al Annabi then take on Senegal on November 25 at the Al Thumama Stadium and the Netherlands on November 29 at Al Bayt in their other Group A matches. Today, the Qatar players will meet with tournament volunteers to show their appreciation for their contribution towards organising Qatar 2022 at an event in Aspire Zone Training Facilities 3 at 4pm. Players will lead the volunteers through football drills, providing fun, fitness, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the participants. In Marbella, Spain – where they were based for more than a month – Qatar besides closed door training sessions also played friendly matches against lower ranked nations. They beat Honduras 1-0, Nicaragua 2-1, Guatemala 2-0, and Panama 2-1. The team was also based in the Austrian capital Vienna and Marbella in Spain since June. On Friday, head coach Sanchez had announced the final 26-man squad. There were no surprises in the final list of squad with Abdelrahman Mustafa unfortunate to miss out as FIFA allows only a 26-man roster. The teams can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of serious injury or illness.