Qatar face North Korea in crucial World Cup qualifier

Luis Garcia wants his Qatar side to be firing on all cylinders when they face North Korea in their World Cup 2026 qualifying match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium tonight. Qatar, hoping to qualify for the FIFA World Cup on merit after hosting the 2022 edition, has struggled with inconsistency in their first six matches, leaving them in fourth place with just seven points.Garcia replaced AFC Asian Cup-winning head coach Marquez Lopez in December and has the difficult task of reviving Qatar’s fortunes, even though the team’s fate is no longer in their own hands.With Iran on 16 points and Uzbekistan just three points behind, the top two spots, which bring automatic qualification, seem out of reach. However, the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to a playoff, where another two World Cup berths will be at stake. Garcia is determined to keep Qatar in the mix for these coveted playoff spots.After facing North Korea, Qatar will travel to face Kyrgyzstan on March 25. To bolster his squad, Garcia has called up several experienced players, including Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan and Abdulaziz Hatem, who missed the Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait last December, where Qatar crashed out in the group stages without a win. Pedro Miguel and Edmilson Junior have also been included in the squad.The team’s fortunes will heavily depend on the attacking prowess of star striker Akram Afif and his partner Almoez Ali. Veteran forward Mohammed Muntari and Al Rayyan’s young striker Ahmed al-Rawi will also form part of the frontline. Qatar is hoping that the combination of youth and experience will give them the edge in their upcoming matches.However, the squad will be without experienced goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb, who has been ruled out due to a calf injury. Al Shahniya’s keeper Shehab Ellethy has been called up to take his place in the preliminary squad.Qatar’s qualification hopes have been under scrutiny after a disappointing start to their campaign, with only two wins from their first six matches. A 5-0 loss to the UAE marked the end of Lopez’s tenure as head coach, with his former deputy Garcia now at the helm. Garcia expressed confidence ahead of the match against North Korea, emphasising the importance of the fixture for Qatar’s World Cup qualification hopes."We are ready for this important match. It will not be an easy challenge against North Korea, and the players are required to give their maximum effort,” Garcia said in a press conference yesterday.He reaffirmed Qatar’s ambition to secure a World Cup spot, stating, "We have a clear goal, which is to qualify for the World Cup. We will go step by step, and our current focus is on the match against North Korea. We will then shift our focus to the next match against Kyrgyzstan.”"The players are excited about the home game, in which we are aiming to collect three points and get back on the right path for direct qualification,” Garcia added.Defender Homam al-Amin stressed the importance of a strong performance against North Korea. "This match will be extremely important in our qualifying campaign, and we are required to go all out for a victory,” said al-Amin. "We are determined to win and achieve a result that puts the team on the right track. We hope for huge support from our home fans,” he added.North Korea’s chances of finishing in the top two are nearly dashed, with the East Asian side sitting on just two points. However, the playoffs remain within reach, and North Korea will give it their best shot, having already held Qatar to a 2-2 draw when the teams met last September.North Korea’s head coach, Sin Yong-nam, reflected on his team’s preparations ahead of the Qatar clash. "We are well prepared for the match after we had a short training camp in Jordan, where we also played a friendly match to test our match readiness before the important game,” Sin said. He acknowledged the difficulty of facing Qatar, noting, "Qatar will be extremely difficult. It is a side that has good players and won the Asian Cup.”Sin expressed confidence in his players’ ability to perform under pressure, saying, "We will be required to give our best and achieve a positive result from this tough match. I am confident that my players will give their maximum effort to come out with a desired result.”North Korean defender Jang Kuk-chol also spoke about the challenge of playing Qatar on their home ground. "It is going to be a very difficult challenge against Qatar on their home ground, but we are eyeing a win and to obtain three precious points,” Jang said. "The entire squad is completely ready. We will need to stick to our plan and fight until the last minute to achieve our goal in the match.”