World Cup hosts Qatar have impressed at the Asian Cup so far and tomorrow meet Saudi Arabia in a clash dripping with diplomatic tension, sporting merit and a touch of Latin flair thrown in. 
Subjected to a harsh diplomatic and economic blockade by neighbours since June 2017, Qatar played North Korea in front of a near-empty stadium because of the travel restrictions. 
“We know that we don’t have our supporters here,” Sanchez said after the 6-0 thrashing of North Korea — whose own lack of fans meant the game in Al Ain resembled an amateur clash watched by just a few hundred people. 
“The players know that this is going to be the scenario. The first game (against Lebanon) was a different atmosphere than today. 
“We need to deal with it, but the players when they are the pitch they focus only on what happens on the field.” 
And so far they have done just that. Sanchez, who held various youth team roles with Qatar before taking the senior position, has seen his side win both Group E matches so far to set up the mouth-watering clash with the Saudis in Abu Dhabi. Qatar have never been beyond the Asian Cup quarter-finals but top the table on goal difference from their also perfect rivals, who are three-time champions. “We’re building a new team and there are a lot of younger players,” said Qatari Asian player of the year Abdelkarim Hassan. 
“We cannot say we are coming here to be champions, we have to go game by game. “That’s what we’re doing and in the next game against Saudi it will be the same,” the defender added. “We will go game by game.” 
The ‘one game at a time’ cliche cannot be avoided during a tournament but the current competition, and the Copa America in a few months, form part of a bigger picture. 
Striker Hassan al-Haydos admitted to the Gulf Times “tournaments are part of our preparations for the FIFA World Cup,” which the country hosts November-December 2022. Four years is not as long as it seems in international football as everyone else will soon have to turn their attention to qualifying while Qatar — as directly entered hosts — must make do with friendlies. 
Qatar are guaranteed to progress win or lose against the Saudis “which is one of our first objectives,” according to Sanchez. 
“Now we have to plan the next one. We know it is going to be very difficult.” 
The Saudis qualified but then underperformed at the World Cup in Russia last year but comfortable wins over North Korea and then Lebanon suggest they are back on track. 
“The players committed to the tactics and strategy,” their Argentine/Spanish coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said. The path out of Group E does not look easy, however, as both winners and runners-up are guaranteed tough opponents. Whoever is first will meet Iran or Iraq while the other faces Japan or Uzbekistan in the last 16.
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