Doha, Qatar: Four years after Hassan Al Haydos hoisted the Asian Cup trophy, Qatar is poised to relive that historic moment as they commence their title defense against Lebanon in the opening match of the tournament at Lusail Stadium. The inaugural clash today aims to provide a strong start for the hosts in front of their home crowd.
Hassan Al Haydos, the most capped player with 175 appearances, acknowledged the pressure but expressed optimism about leveraging it as a source of strength. As the title holders playing on home turf, Al Haydos emphasized the added responsibility to perform and demonstrate their intent to fans.
In Group A, Qatar is set to face Tajikistan and China, with Al Haydos describing it as "a relatively good group where all the teams have very similar levels."
Coach Marquez Lopez, who replaced Carlos Queiroz last month, targets reaching the final despite the limited time for preparations. The team, aiming for another title under Lopez's guidance, underwent intensive preparation, with the coach expressing satisfaction with the squad's readiness.
While Qatar has a favorable history against Lebanon, winning five and drawing one of their previous encounters, Lebanon's coach, Miodrag Radulovic, is optimistic about their chances. The goal for Lebanon is to fight for each point and advance to the next round, with Radulovic emphasizing psychological preparedness from the start.
Lebanon's captain, Hassan Maatouk, echoed the coach's sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the game against Qatar and the opportunity to qualify for the next round.
The match kicks off at 7 pm after the opening ceremony at 5 pm. The Qatari team, led by coach Marquez Lopez, aims to replicate the success of the 2019 Asian Cup in front of their home fans.