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QNA
Doha
FIFA, world’s football governing body, has praised the footballing achievements of Qatar, which is accustomed to organising global sporting competitions.
The successful organisation of the recent 2019 FIFA Club World Cup has showed what the country can do when it comes to welcoming champions as well as provided a sneak peek of what lies ahead at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In a report titled ‘A year to remember for Qatar’, FIFA said this year has shown that the Qatari men’s national team can be champions themselves, thanks to their historic AFC Asian Cup win. Al-Annabi (the Maroons) were also the highest climbers in the World Ranking in 2019 collecting not less than 138 points over the course of the year and rose 38 places to the 55th spot.
This time last year, they lay a lowly 93rd with many a daunting challenge ahead of them. Taking them all in their stride, the Maroons have gone from strength to strength in 2019.
To say Qatar’s first AFC Asian Cup win was a major achievement
would be something of an understatement.
Felix Sanchez’s men won all seven of their games en route to the title, having failed to win a single knockout match in their nine previous appearances in the competition.
Three of their victims were teams that represented Asia at Russia 2018: Saudi Arabia in the group phase, Korea in the quarter-finals, and Japan in the final, the report said.
Frontman Al Moez Ali lead the Qatari charge with a tournament-record nine goals, beating the previous best of eight, set by legendary Iran striker Ali Daei in 1996. And the Maroons were just as impressive at the back, conceding just one goal, scored by Japan’s Takumi Minamino in the final.
Qatar made their very first appearance in South America’s premier club competition, having been invited by CONMEBOL to take part, along with Japan. They travelled to Brazil with no specific objective in mind other than to gain some valuable experience against top-class opposition while they continue their preparations to host the World Cup in 2022.
Drawn in Group B with Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay, Qatar failed to make the knockout stage but acquitted themselves well.
Trailing 2-0 in their opening match, against Paraguay, they fought back to claim a point, went down 1-0 and 2-0 defeats to Colombia and Argentina respectively. Though it ended early for them, the tournament provided the Qataris with the perfect preparation for their next test back in Asia.
Though a place at the next world finals is guaranteed as hosts, Qatar are still taking part in the Asian qualifying competition for the tournament, as it also doubles up as the qualifiers for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
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30/12/2019
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