Qatar lose to star-studded Brazil in friendly

Brasilia, Brazil: Qatar missed a penalty in the final minutes of the game as they went down 0-2 to Brazil in a friendly match that was overshadowed by an ankle ligament injury to Neymar who will now miss the Copa America.

Both the goals came in the first half, through Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus, but the talking point of the match, at least for the hosts, was the injury suffered by Neymar, who hobbled off the pitch in tears in the 22nd minute.

Philippe Coutinho was named man of the match, relishing a free-roaming midfield role before he was replaced by Lucas Paqueta in the 68th minute.

"I didn't have a good season. It was below what I and everybody else had hoped for," Coutinho told TV Globo after the match. "I came here with a desire to work hard and hopefully that will help me to get my confidence back."

Coutinho had words of support for team-mate Neymar, who is under criminal investigation after a woman accused him of raping her in a Paris hotel last month.

"He's an excellent person and very important to our group," Coutinho said. "He has some personal problems that we can't comment on. I'm not sure how bad the injury is but I hope he can come back soon and continue to be important for the team."

Richarlison found the target in the 16th minute at the Mane Garrincha stadium by flicking in a header after a Dani Alves cross. The Everton forward then turned provider with a perfectly weighted pass that Jesus lashed in from close range.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez fielded almost the same team that played a key role in the Asian Cup triumph, with only Bassam Al Rawi missing, but they could not put the star-studded hosts under any pressure.

However, they missed a golden chance to score in the final minutes when Boualem Khoukhi hit the bar with his penalty after the video assistant referee ruled that goalkeeper Ederson tripped Abdullah Al Ahrak.

Sanchez said the Al Anabi acquitted themselves well against the five-time world champions.

“This game was very important for us as because it was part of our preparations for the Copa America. Also, in the long run, it is important because we are getting ready to play in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022,” said Sanchez, adding that the players coped well with the pressure of playing one of the biggest teams in the world.

“We managed to keep up with the Brazilian team for most of the first half. And in the second half they really played very well.

“The Qatari players have gained a lot of experience from this encounter, which will give them a boost in the upcoming matches in the Copa America, where we will play in a very difficult group.”

Qatar, playing in Copa America as an invitee team along with Japan are in Group B of the competition. They open their campaign against Paraguay on June 16. Argentina and Colombia are the other teams in the group.

Earlier, Qatar Football Association President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani exchanged souvenirs with Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro before the friendly.