World Cup qualifiers: Marquez, Almoez confident ahead of Qatar’s first test against UAE

Qatar national team coach Bartolomé Márquez López expressed his hope for a perfect start as Al Annabi begins its journey in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup by facing the UAE tomorrow, Thursday, at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium. The two teams are facing off in Group A, which also includes Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and North Korea.

In his remarks during the press conference, the coach said: “We are preparing for the start of a new phase to achieve our goal of reaching the World Cup. Our preparations for the first match in the third round against the UAE team tomorrow have been ideal.”

The coach added: “We understand that our task will not be easy, but we are confident in our ability to deliver the best possible performance to achieve the goal of reaching the World Cup for the first time through the qualifiers after qualifying for the previous tournament as the host.”

López continued his remarks by saying: “We are grateful for the tremendous support we received in the last Asian Cup, and we hope that the fans will continue to stand behind the players during this important phase of the national team’s journey.”

Meanwhile, Qatar striker Almoez Ali confirmed their readiness to face the UAE, saying: “We have prepared well during the current training camp and are ready for the first encounter against the UAE national team. We are determined to secure the three points to keep our dream of qualifying for the upcoming World Cup alive.”

The Al Annabi star added: “We have won the Asian Cup both at home and abroad, and qualifying for the World Cup is what this generation needs to make history and continue the great journey.”

He continued: “In the last Asian Cup held in Qatar, we received tremendous support from the fans, which warmed our hearts and made us feel that an entire nation was behind us. This is what we hope for in tomorrow’s match against the UAE, where we need the fans’ support.”