Doha, Qatar: The Qatar national football team will take on Zimbabwe on Monday, November 17, 2025, at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in a friendly match forming part of Qatar's preparations for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar, which Doha will host from December 1 to 18, 2025.
The match also fits into Qatar's long-term preparation plan for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Qatar secured its spot in the tournament after topping Group A of the Asian playoff competition held in Doha last month, finishing ahead of the UAE and Oman.
Head coach Julen Lopetegui aims to evaluate several players before finalizing the 23-man squad for the FIFA Arab Cup, in accordance with FIFA regulations.
The squad for the Zimbabwe match excludes several key players who have been central to the team in recent years, including Akram Afif, Edmilson Junior, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Karim Boudiaf, and Abdulaziz Hatem. Striker Almoez Ali is also absent after undergoing surgery. The move is intended to give these players time to rest and recover following a demanding schedule with club and national team duties.
The current squad features a mix of youth and experience and includes 26 players, among them three goalkeepers: Meshaal Barsham, Mahmoud Abunada, and Shehab Al Lithi. The squad also comprises Ahmed Al Janahi, Ahmed Al Rawi, Ahmed Suhail, Ahmed Fathy, Ahmed Alaa, Al Hashimi Al Hussain, Ayoub Mohammed, Tahsin Mohammed, Jassim Gaber, Khalid Ali, Khaled Mohammed, Sultan Al Brek, Tarek Salman, Assim Madibo, Lucas Mendes, Mohammed Khaled, Mohammed Muntari, Mohammed Waad, Mustafa Tarek, Nabil Irfan, Homam Al Amin, and Yousef Ayman.
This international window marks Qatar’s final preparation phase before the Arab Cup. The host nation will open the tournament on December 1 at Al Bayt Stadium against the winner of the Palestine-Libya playoff.
Qatar is placed in Group A with Tunisia and the winner of the Syria-South Sudan playoff.
Zimbabwe, ranked 129th in the October FIFA rankings, recently played a friendly against Algeria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where it lost 3-1.
The Zimbabwean team is preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco will host from December 21. Zimbabwe will begin its campaign against Egypt on December 22 in Agadir in Group B, which also features South Africa and Angola.
