Qatar at Copa ‘surprising but special’: Cavani

Paris Saint-Germain’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani said Qatar’s participation in this year’s Copa America is ‘surprising but very special’. Qatar will take part in the world’s oldest continental tournament to be held in Brazil in June and July, after accepting an invitation from the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).The South American football governing body has invited Qatar and Japan from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to take part in Copa America, which will give Felix Sanchez’s men an opportunity to test themselves against big guns Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.Qatar will be making their debut in the Copa America, becoming the first Arab nation to play in the tournament, while Japan will be making their second appearance, their first since 1999. The draw for the tournament will be conducted on January 24.Cavani said Qatar’s participation will bring a new culture to mix with the South Americans. “It will be great for Qatar to participate in the 2019 Copa America because it is not just about football, but about the exchange of cultures and football for the whole world. To have Qatar at the Copa America is a surprise and I think it is going to be something very special,” the 31-year-old said yesterday on the sidelines of PSG’s winter training camp at Aspire.At Copa America, Cavani and Barcelona’s Luis Suarez will form a formidable strike pair for Uruguay, who have won the tournament 15 times. And Cavani backs his country to lift the title again.“Copa America is the second best competition after World Cup. Uruguay has a very good chance this time. We have been playing very well in recent years and had a good World Cup in Russia. Historically, Uruguay is a team smart enough to have won it the most times. This, I think, gives prestige to Uruguay in this competition,” he saidCavani, meanwhile, said he want to see his contract out at PSG. The striker has been linked with a second spell at Italian club Napoli, having left for PSG some six years ago, but he admitted staying with the Ligue 1 champions was his priority.“Right now, I’m playing towards the end of my contract and possibly my career. I’ll be 33 going on 34 when it’s up. I don’t know if I’ll continue after 2020 and if my next contract will be in Paris, but I feel good here, the club is happy with me and I want to see my contract out,” he said.“For the moment, we have not talked about the new contract yet. There is no discussion around an extension. If the club wants to talk to me about it, that’s fine. If the club prefers to say thank you very much for everything and say goodbye, it will not be a problem. It’s life,” he added.Cavani said winning the Champions League with PSG was an ultimate goal. The French giants have struggled in the Champions League in recent years, having only managed to reach the quarter-finals. They are up against a resurgent Manchester United in their last 16 Champions League, with the first leg to be played on February 12 at Manchester and second leg taking place in Paris on March 6.Cavani conceded United will be a tough team to get past but said PSG were confident of beating them. United been a side transformed since the departure of Jose Mourinho, with caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær winning all six games in charge, including an impressive 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.“The departure of Mourinho has given the team new energy, and that has been shown in recent weeks. They have started to win matches and find continuity, we will be facing a motivated team that has a lot of history in Europe” he said.“But PSG is a team with great individuals that has improved recently. We will have a difficult task against Manchester United. I think PSG has always been at a level to compete well in Europe and I think everyone has seen that, but we have lost games. PSG has always been at the level to compete in Europe. And this year we hope to be able to advance more in the Champions League, which is a nice and important goal,” he added.