‘Calm, focused’ Qatar can do it, says coach Lopez

Doha: Coach Marquez Lopez on Wednesday urged Qatar players to remain ‘calm, focused’ as they aim to clinch their first win in the current yet crucial phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.Today Qatar - the current Asian champions - will face Kyrgyzstan at Al Thumama Stadium where the hosts will aim to get their first win after a shock home loss (3-1) and an unexpected 2-2 draw last month against the UAE and DPR Korea respectively.Lopez, who guided Qatar to their second successive Asian Cup title win in February this year, on Wednesday minced no words in admitting the huge challenge in front of captain Akram Afif and his Qatar teammates."We know the difficulty of this game and our goal is to achieve our first victory in the qualifiers,” Lopez said during a pre-match press conference at match venue Al Thumama Stadium."All players are ready for the match, and we need to stay calm, focused, and play without pressure to secure the win,” the Spaniard added. "We have many outstanding players and everyone is prepared for this challenge,” he warned.Qatar will pin hopes on Afif - by far the home team’s best player - Al Duhail forward Almoez Ali and recently-naturalised Edmilson Jr.Last week, Lopez also recalled experienced defender Abdelkarim Hassan who now plays for QSL side Al Wakrah. Hassan was a key player for Qatar in 2019 when they won the AFC Asian Cup title in the UAE."Some players like Abdelkarim Hassan and Boualem Khoukhi deserve to be considered for the national team. Hassan’s recent performances with Al Wakrah have been impressive and Boualem has excelled with Al Sadd. Adding these players to the national team strengthens our squad,” Lopez said.Regarding Kyrgyzstan, who scored two goals against Uzbekistan and conceded one against Iran, Lopez said: "We’ve thoroughly studied them and understand their playing style. While they’ve scored goals, they’ve also conceded. We’re prepared for any scenario and have developed strategies to help us achieve our objectives."Although we still have eight matches to go in the qualifiers, there’s still plenty of opportunity to secure a direct spot in the 2026 World Cup. We can achieve this by finishing first or second in our group. Despite some setbacks, we remain confident in our ability to succeed,” Lopez said.Qatar player Jassem Gaber on Wednesday said his team will be playing for an outright win in the key Group A clash set to kick-off at 7pm."We’ve moved on from the past, and our focus is now on the upcoming match. Our goal is to win and secure the three points,” Gaber said on Wednesday. "The match is on our home soil and in front of our fans, which gives us great motivation as players,” he added."We hope to see them (the fans) in the stadium with us. Our Morale is high in training and all players are ready to secure a win,” Gaber added.A victory over Kyrgyzstan today would be a significant morale boost ahead of Qatar’s match against Iran on Tuesday.Kyrgyzstan, despite losses to Iran (1-0) and Uzbekistan (3-2), proved to be formidable opponents. Although securing a top-two finish might be challenging due to the group’s strong competition, Kyrgyzstan has a realistic chance of advancing to the fourth round.There, they’ll compete for two additional spots in the Finals and could potentially pose a significant challenge to Qatar today.Kyrgyzstan coach Maksim Lisitsyn said on Wednesday: "We are fully aware of the strength of the Qatari team, and we will play to achieve victory. Our preparations have gone well but we faced some difficulties considering that some of the players only joined training in the past few days, but we are very confident in our ability to overcome what happened in the first and second rounds.”He explained: "We know the Qatari team well. They are champions of Asia in the last two editions. Therefore our task will not be easy. We know that we are heading towards a match during which we could face many difficulties. We will try to impose our style and not let Qatar play the way they want to."I have had experience of playing in Qatari stadiums with the Kyrgyzstan U-23 team. Qatar has world-class stadiums,” he said.Former Qatar captain Ibrahim Khalfan said in an interview: "Beating Kyrgyzstan would be a significant step forward for Qatar’s World Cup dreams. Qatar team faces a challenging road ahead. Despite their initial struggles, it is important to maintain focus and determination. The team’s strong character, developed through their past successes, will be crucial in overcoming these obstacles.”"While the upcoming match against Kyrgyzstan won’t be easy, the coaching staff must devise effective offensive strategies to secure a victory."I think the return of veteran full-back Abdelkarim Hassan will bring experience and solidity to the defence,” the retired Qatar player said.