Spanish head coach Luis García has unveiled the 30-player roster for Qatar’s upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers against North Korea and Kyrgyzstan. The matches, part of the Asian qualifiers’ seventh and eighth rounds in Group 1, will see Qatar face North Korea in Doha on Thursday, March 20, followed by an away fixture against Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek on Tuesday, March 25.Garcia has recalled senior players who were dropped for the Arabian Gulf Cup in December, including Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan and Abdulaziz Hatem. Pedro Miguel and Edmilson Junior also return after recovering from injuries. Akram Afif and Almoez Ali will lead Qatar’s attack.Qatar currently sits fourth in Group 1 with seven points, trailing Iran (16 points), Uzbekistan (13), and the UAE (10). Kyrgyzstan and North Korea occupy the bottom spots with three and two points, respectively.With only four matches remaining, the fixtures represent a critical opportunity for Qatar to climb the standings and bolster their World Cup qualification hopes. The top two teams from the group will secure direct qualification for the World CupThe team will undergo intensive daily training in Doha ahead of the North Korea clash before departing for Bishkek. Coach García emphasised the importance of securing maximum points to keep qualification ambitions alive in a tightly contested group.
March 15, 2025 | 12:03 AM