Tameem Alqadi and Zaid Faisal Ktit
Doha: Qatar’s young guns looked confident and upbeat as they took to the Al Thumama training pitch during Media Promotion Day yesterday, stepping up preparations for the FIFA U-17 World Cup kicking off tomorrow.
Making their eighth appearance in the tournament, the young Al Annabi are eager to shine on home soil under Spanish coach Alvaro Mejia, aiming to go deep in the expanded competition.
Placed in Group A, Qatar will face Italy, South Africa and Bolivia, with their first target being a place in the knockout stage. The hosts will open their campaign with a tough clash against Italy, the European Under-17 Championship semi-finalists, at Aspire Zone Pitch 5 – Khaled Ballan tomorrow.
The players expressed confidence ahead of the challenge with talented forward Zaid Faisal Ktit eyeing a strong start.
“Italy are a strong team but all teams in this tournament will be tough. Of course, we will have to play well and we are looking forward to it,” said the Al Gharafa striker on the sidelines of the team’s training session at Al Thumama pitch.
He added that the squad has enjoyed excellent preparations under their coach and are eager to showcase their abilities.
“This is a great opportunity for us, representing the national team in a tournament like this. It’s a chance to show our talents,” he said.
Tameem Alqadi echoed his teammate’s optimism, saying the team is determined to make the country proud.
“We will play a great game. Italy is a tough team, but there are no weak teams in the World Cup,” said the Al Sadd youngster.
“It’s a proud moment for us to represent our country on home soil, and we will do our best in all the matches.”
Argentina players and officials during a training session at Al Erssal.
Great atmosphere in Qatar
Yesterday’s Media Promotion Day saw several of the 48 participating teams in action during training sessions at Al Erssal and Al Thumama pitches.
Brazil coach Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Patetuci praised Qatar’s facilities and atmosphere as his side looks to regain the title, which they won in 2019 on home soil.
“The atmosphere here in Qatar is great, the environment is wonderful, and we’re very happy to be here. It’s going to be a beautiful World Cup,” said Patetuci.
Brazil will face Honduras, Indonesia and Zambia in Group H, with their opening match against Honduras on Tuesday.
“Brazil is arriving strong for the competition. We always play attacking football, take the initiative and aim for goals while maintaining balance. We’re going to be very aggressive,” the coach added.
He also welcomed the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams, saying it gives more nations the chance to compete and helps globalise football further.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia manager Abdulwahab Alharbi expressed confidence in his team’s readiness after an extensive two-year preparation period.
“The team has been preparing for two years, and in the last three months, we’ve seen major improvement. InshaAllah, they will do well,” he said.
Saudi Arabia are in Group L with Mali, New Zealand and Austria, and will open their campaign against Austria on Wednesday.
“We have a strong group, and our initial goal is to advance from the group stage,” Alharbi added.
The tournament will feature 104 matches across the Competition Complex pitches in Aspire Zone, with up to eight games played daily. The grand finale is set for November 27 at the iconic Khalifa International Stadium.
