DOHA: Under the watchful gaze of coach Fahad Al Thani, the Qatar football squad yesterday underwent intense training in two separate sessions at Aspire Zone.
Qatar are preparing for two key football games this month.
Also known as ‘Al Anabi’, Qatar first host Egypt tomorrow at Al Gharafa Stadium.
Yesterday, Fahad was present at the football training headquarters as the squad underwent fitness drills that involved cycling and running.
The Qatari players later carried out further running drills before working on match-play tactics.
Team manager Abdul Rehman Al Mahmood later met with the team coach.
Coached by American Bob Bradley, the The Pharaohs are expected to arrive in Doha today.
This will be the second match between the two sides since late December when Egypt won 2-0.
However, Qatar was coached by Paulo Autuori when Egypt won on December 28. The current Qatar coach guided the team to a win in their last international three weeks ago.
The Egypt friendly has been planned to help the Qatar side prepare for their 2015 Asian Cup qualifier against Bahrain on March 22. Four days later Qatar will take on Korea in an away 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying game.
Meanwhile, Qatar Football Association (QFA) has set up additional sale points to meet the high demand for tickets for Qatar’s friendly against Egypt tomorrow.
Tickets for the international friendly can be purchased at Souq Waqif and at the match venue Al Gharafa Stadium, officials confirmed.
The tickets could be bought at Souq Waqif until 10:00 am tomorrow, the day of the match, a QFA official said.
Tickets at Al Gharafa Stadium can be bought by fans just two hours before the kick-off.
“We are going to sell tickets on the day of the match so that fans can make last-minute purchase,” the official told the QFA’s website.
“We are aware that we have large Egyptian community who would be present at the match,” he added.
Fans will have to cough up QR 30 for each ticket.
In another football-related development, coach Marcel Van Buuren yesterday announced a batch of 29 players that will assemble for the Qatar Olympic team training camp in Doha this week.
The Qatar Olympic squad is set to begin preparations for a International Football Tournament that will commence in Doha on March 21.
The training camp will begin today, a QFA official confirmed.
“The team will continue with their training camp until the start of the event,” he said. Qatar will play Turkey, Iran and Morocco at the home event.
Squad: Hamad Al-Obeidi, Karim Salim Ali, Abdullah Alawi, Ahmed Alaa, Mohamed Alaa Abdel, Nasser Al Kaabi, Ahmed Saleh Al Khalfan, Ahmed Al Nahwee, Abdullah Hassan Marafih, Mohammed Khalifa Al Kuwari, Nasser Al Khalfan, Ahmed Fateh, Yusuf Yaqoob, Abdul Rahman, Gasser Yahya, Badr Saleh Al Yazidi, Hilal Mohamed Saeed, Musab Al-Khader Kamal, Saud Al-Mubarak Al-Khater, Ahmed Fadel, Ali Ahmed Qadri, Fahad Ahmed, Murad Naji, Sergen Abdou, Saeed Al-Haj, Abdulaziz Rashed Al Ansari, Mohamed Shaaban and Saud Mohammed.
THE PENINSULA
