RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee has this week attended the opening round of matches at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, as part of an on-going observation process intended to draw vital learning experiences from the current hosts of the tournament held a year ahead of the FIFA World Cup.  
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, said:

“This increasingly important tournament is an invaluable opportunity for us to learn from the hosting experiences of Brazil, both in terms of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the on-going preparations for the FIFA World Cup here next year. These observations will further assist us to deliver an outstanding tournament in Qatar in 2022. We have witnessed a fantastic opening game in the city of Brasilia and an equally memorable match in the historic Maracana, a stadium which is inextricably linked with the history of the World Cup.”

On Monday, Al Thawadi spoke as a panellist at the Financial Times/International Football Arena Business of Football Summit in Rio de Janeiro, as part of a session which included his counterparts Ricardo Trade, CEO of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, and Alexey Sorokin, CEO of the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee.

Discussing the topic ‘What the Future Holds for World Football,’ they held mutually beneficial discussions including ways of optimising the power of the World Cup for the social and economic benefit of the host nation. They also exchanged ideas about how legacy considerations can be implemented into the planning stages of the world’s greatest football tournament.  

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee is also taking part in the FIFA Observers Programme at the Confederations Cup, as Qatar prepares to host the same event in 2021 – a year before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  This programme incorporates observation of both competition and non-competition venues, including the media centre and security command centre, as well as venue operations, airport operations, transport, branding and signage, ticketing, merchandising, accreditation, volunteers, fan zones, media operations, teams and team base camps.  

DOHA: Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar 2022 supreme committee for the World Cup, insists that the nation is planning for a June tournament in nine years’ time, but admits they are prepared to alter the schedule.

Last week, Uefa secretary general Gianni Infantino joined the calls for the tournament to be held in the winter amid fears over the scorching temperatures close to 50°C in the Qatari summer.

“There are significant voices in the football community who are saying winter would be perfect,” said Al Thawadi at the FT/IFA Business of Football Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

“We are willing to have that debate to decide which is the best time.

“It’s the World Cup, it’s not Qatar’s cup. If we don’t sit down and listen to what the world wants, we would be doing an injustice to the World Cup.

“The way I see it, a number of people have spoken about their preference for it to move. It would have to be discussed with the football community.”

Concerns have been raised over player safety while Qatar’s proposed air conditioning system inside the stadiums has yet to be fully tested.

But Al Thawadi said: “When we bid for the World Cup our intention was always for it to be in June. The weather is not very bad in Doha in June, it’s not so bad.  

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN: Hosts Uzbekistan fired five goals within a span
of just 31 minutes in the second half as the home team routed a
lackluster Qatar 5-1 in their final 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
match.

Qatar took the surprise lead through Abdulqadir Ilyas in the 37th
minute and maintained the score until the one-hour mark.

However, Uzbekistan picked up their game and fired five goals through
Bahodir Nasimov (60 and 74), Oleg Zoteev (72), Odil Ahmedov (87) and
Ulugbek Bakaev (90 + 1) to seal the issue in the Group A clash.

However, the win was not enough for Uzbekistan to gain automatic
qualification to next year's FIFA World Cup finals.

Iran, who have topped the group, and Korea Republic, who beat Qatar in
March, go through.

Qatar played their 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign in the last one year
under two coaches - Paulo Autuori and Fahad Thani - producing just two
wins against Lebanon and a draw against Iran for their miserly tally
of 7 points from six games.

Last year in June, Uzbekistan had edged past Qatar 1-0 at Jassim Bin
Hamad Stadium.

On June 4, visitors Iran edged Qatar 1-0.

The final Group A standings are as follows:

Iran (16 points),
Korea Republic (14, +6 goal difference),
Uzbekistan (14, +5),
Qatar (7),
Lebanon (5).

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN: Qatar football squad - headed by chief coach Fahad Thani on Sunday arrived in the Uzbek capital for their final 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.

Qatar will face hosts Uzbekistan on Tuesday in the second-leg of the
Group 'A' Asia Zone qualification match.

The entire squad touched down at Tashkent International Airport, 12kms
from the center of Tashkent. The players later reached their hotel and
will be seen at training on Monday morning.

Prior to their departure for Tashkent, coach Fahad Thani said Qatar
would be playing to win.

"For us this is an important game," coach Fahad said in his last
interview in Doha. "We are playing to win this match," he added.

Qatar had been training in Doha since last Saturday for their June 18 clash.

"We have a few absent players but we also have decent replacements.
The players have the responsibility to give their best," he said.

South Korea is placed at the top of Group 'A' with 11 points from six
matches, ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference.

Iran has 10 points, Qatar has 7 points and Lebanon is last with 4 points.

Qatar has missed out on the chance to gain an automatic spot in next
year's FIFA World Cup after the Maroon brigade lost to Iran 0-1 in
Doha.

The Qatar squad: Ibraheem Al Ghanem, Talal Al Baloushi, Wisam Rizq,
Mohammed Kasoula, Khalfan Ibraheem, Ibraheem Magid, Hassan Haidos,
Yousef Ahmed, Abdulkareem Hassan, Mohanad Naeem, Magid Mohammed,
Mohammed Said Abdulmotaleb, Ahmed Sufyan, Musaab Mahmoud, Abdulgader
Elias, Saoud, Hamad Al Obaidely,, Hamid Ismaeel, Adel Lami, Ali Hassan
Afifi, Hussein Ali Shihab and Khalid Muftah.

Coach: Fahad Thani

Manager: Abdulrehman Al Mahmoud
 

DOHA: The Referees Committee of the Qatar Football Association (QFA)
on Sunday announced that a batch of Qatar officials will undergo
training in France.

The Referees Committee said the officials will leave Doha on June 18
and remain in France until July 5.

During the training course, the Qatari officials will take classes on
ways to improve overall fitness besides attending football lectures to
be delivered by experts on on-field behavior.

DOHA: The Qatar Football Association on Sunday announced a batch of 31
players for the Olympic squad's summer training camp set to begin in
the Netherlands later this week.

Head coach Julio Cesar handed over the final list of the players which
was released by QFA on Sunday.

The Qatar squad leaves for Netherlands on June 18 and head back to
Doha on July 8, QFA confirmed.

The Dutch trip is part of the team's preparations plans for the GCC
Cup (for Olympic teams) to be held in Manama, Bahrain, in August.

Cesar headed the squad's first training session on Saturday.

Squad: Badr Al Yazidi, Muhammad Naim Sheikh, Musab Al-Khader Kamal,
Hilal Mohamed Said, Ghasser Yahya Zakaria, Ali Asad, Hisham Kamal
Hassan, Abdul Rahman Nasser, Aladdin Ahmed Badr, Mohamed Alaa El Din
Badr, Abdullah Al-Alawi, Muhammad Salah, Abdul Majeed, Abdullah Al
Talib, Abdullah Hassan, Ahmed Saleh Khalfan, Ahmed Youssef, Abdullah
Mohammed Al Sulaiti, Ahmed Fathi, Murad Naji Hussein, Faisal Abdul
Aziz Hussein, Abdulaziz Adel Bader, Ali Ahmed Qadri, Fahd Younis
Ahmed, Saud Al-Mubarak Al-Khater, Ahmed Fadel, Hassan Fazli, Soud
Mohammed Khulaki, Hudhaifah Yahya Salmi, Mohamed Shaaban Muhammad and
Said Haj

Coach: Julio Cesar

DOHA: Qatar football squad - headed by chief coach Fahad Thani - on
Sunday left for Taskhent where they take on hosts Uzbekistan in their
final 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.

Qatar will face hosts Uzbekistan on Tuesday in the second-leg of the
Group 'A' Asia Zone qualification match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup to
be held in Brazil.

South Korea is placed at the top of Group 'A' with 11 points from six
matches, ahead of Uzbekistan on goal difference.

Iran has 10 points, Qatar has 7 points and Lebanon is last with 4 points.

Qatar has missed out on the chance to gain an automatic spot in next
year's FIFA World Cup after the Maroon brigade lost to Iran 0-1 in
Doha.

The Qatari team went through a rigorous training session under coach
Fahad over the weekend at the Aspire Academy in Doha.

The Qatar squad: Ibraheem Al Ghanem, Talal Al Baloushi, Wisam Rizq,
Mohammed Kasoula, Khalfan Ibraheem, Ibraheem Magid, Hassan Haidos,
Yousef Ahmed, Abdulkareem Hassan, Mohanad Naeem, Magid Mohammed,
Mohammed Said Abdulmotaleb, Ahmed Sufyan, Musaab Mahmoud, Abdulgader
Elias, Saoud, Hamad Al Obaidely,, Hamid Ismaeel, Adel Lami, Ali Hassan
Afifi, Hussein Ali Shihab and Khalid Muftah.

Coach: Fahad Thani

Manager: Abdulrehman Al Mahmoud

DOHA: Qatar will be playing to win against hosts Uzbekistan on June
18, team coach Fahad Thani said on Friday.

Qatar are away to Uzbekistan for their final 2014 FIFA World Cup
qualifying match for their Group A, Asian Zone clash.

"For us this is an important game," coach Fahad said on Friday. "We
are playing to win this match," he added.

Qatar have been training in Doha since last Saturday for their June 18 clash.

"We have a few absent players but we also have decent replacements.
The players have the responsibility to give their best," he said.

"I seek top effort from all the players," he said. "We have important
matches coming up later in summer," he said.

"The friendly we played against North Korea helped the players get the
Iran match out of their system," he said.

Coach Fahad said players gave their best against Iran who defended
well for their 1-0 win on June 4.

 

DOHA: Qatar Stars League (QSL) sides Al Gharafa and Umm Salal will
take part in the Arab Champions League and GCC Club Tournament
respectively, it emerged on Friday.

The two clubs were confirmed by Qatar Football Association (QFA).

Al Gharafa and Umm Salal finished in fifth and sixth places
respectively in the last QSL season.

The top four sides Al Sadd, Lekhwiya, Eljaish and Al Rayyan will take
part in next year's AFC Champions League, QFA said.
 

DOHA: Qatar Stars League (QSL) champions Al Sadd will base camp in
Austria and Spain this summer, the club said on Thursday.

Al Sadd won the QSL title in April this year, dethroning Lekhwiya from
the top of the league.

Al Sadd will leave for Austria on August 11, officials said.

After a week in Austria, Al Sadd will fly to Spain for the remainder
of the summer camp.

Al Sadd are also planning to play against Real Madrid in a friendly on
August 20 or 21.

Al Sadd return on August 25 before playing their first game of QSL in
September.