Qatar Announces Squad for World Cup Qualifiers Against UAE and North Korea

Qatar Announces Squad for World Cup Qualifiers Against UAE and North Korea

The 26-man roster features a blend of key players from the Asian Cup-winning team, standout talents from the U-23 squad, and a few returning veterans.

Veteran midfielders Assim Madibo and Karim Boudiaf have been selected for Qatar's squad for the first two matches of the third round of World Cup qualifiers.

Madibo last represented Qatar in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July 2023 and was not part of Marquez Lopez's Asian Cup-winning squad earlier this year.

The 27-year-old will be joined by Al Duhail’s Boudiaf and Al Ahli’s Abdelrahman Moustafa, both of whom are making a return to the national team after a relatively long absence.

Qatar will host UAE at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium on September 5, followed by a trip to Vietnam to face North Korea at the New Laos National Stadium five days later.

The squad, announced on Sunday, includes members of the youth team that reached the quarterfinals of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, along with a core of experienced players.

However, Marquez Lopez had rested senior players for the previous round's matches against Afghanistan and India, including Akram Afif, the Asian Cup’s top scorer and MVP.

Afif is expected to captain the team, having already worn the armband in two matches against Kuwait following the retirement of two-time Asian Cup-winning captain Hassan Al Haydos from international football in March.

Qatar’s squad:

Goalkeepers: Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Mohammed Al Bakri (Al Wakrah), Saad Al Sheeb (Al Sadd), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail).

Defenders: Bassam Al Rawi (Al Duhail), Lucas Mendez (Al Wakrah), Homam Ahmed (Al Duhail), Mohammed Aiash (Al Duhail), Pedro Miguel (Al Sadd), Tarek Salman (Al Sadd), Abdullah Al Yazidi (Al Sadd), Sultan Al Brake (Al Duhail).

Midfielders: Assim Madibo (Al Gharafa), Karim Boudiaf (Al Duhail), Mohammed Waad (Al Sadd), Abdelrahman Moustafa (Al Ahli), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan), Ahmed Fathy (Al Arabi), Jassim Jaber (Al Arabi), Ibrahim Al Hassan (Calahorra).

Forwards: Akram Afif (Al Sadd), Almoez Ali (Al Duhail), Ismaeel Mohammed (Al Duhail), Ahmed Alaa (Al Arabi), Tamim Mansour (Al Rayyan), Yusuf Abdurisag (Al Sadd).