Our former national team player Mubarak Mustafa confirmed that “Al-Adam” is required to make an exceptional appearance in order to compete to qualify for the second round in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico during the period from June 11 to next July 19.
Mubarak explained in a statement to Qatar News Agency that the task seems difficult in light of the team’s presence in a strong group with the teams of Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which requires the players to make double efforts in order to appear differently than the team did in the qualifiers or in the Arab Cup in its previous edition.
He pointed out that the list summoned by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui includes many elements of experience, in light of the presence of players who have previously played in many continental or global tournaments, but this will not be enough unless the team shows solidity and a strong personality in all of its first matches in the group stage.
He added in this context, “In comparison with the level we showed in the qualifiers or in the Arab Cup, we need a double effort so that the team regains the strength it had in the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cup tournaments, when it won the title twice in a row, presenting itself with a different face to sit on the throne of the Asian continent.”
He continued, “During the qualifying campaign, we did not perform as expected, especially since the opportunity was conducive to qualifying directly, after the team entered that stage, and it is a prominent candidate, as the champion of the 2023 Asian Cup, which it hosted on its home soil, and after losing the opportunity to qualify directly in the third round, the mission was accomplished through the Asian playoff, in which the team showed a different level to be able to secure its place in the finals.”
Regarding the second group in which the Qatari team is present, he said, “We are in a very difficult group that includes strong teams such as Switzerland and Canada, and even Bosnia, which qualified at the expense of Italy, and seeking to qualify for the round of 32 requires winning at least one of the three matches.”
He pointed out that a balance in performance is required by coach Julen Lopetegui, between interest in strengthening the defensive aspects, and ensuring the availability of offensive efficiency that helps the team reach the goal of its competitors and produce the desired results, which contribute to reaching the ambitions and goals set, especially since he had an important friendly experience with the Irish national team that was an opportunity to determine technical readiness, before concluding preparations with another friendly match with the El Salvador national team also in the United States, which is an important experience. A few days before the finals.
The former Qatari national team player expressed his hope to focus on each match separately, starting with the first confrontation with the Swiss national team, which will be an important key to an ideal start despite the great strength of the opposing team, which includes players participating in the high level of the European leagues, and then thinking about meeting the Canadian national team on its soil, which is another task that seems more difficult, before concluding the group stage by facing the Bosnia national team.
He concluded his statement by emphasizing that the World Cup is a different tournament, but the opportunity to qualify for the next round seems available despite the difficulty of the task in light of the increase in the number of teams to 48 as of this edition, which provides the opportunity for many teams to record a new history by reaching the qualifying rounds for the first time.
It is worth noting that Al-Anabi is preparing for its second appearance in the World Cup finals, after its first participation in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as a host when it competed in that edition in a group that included Ecuador, the Netherlands and Senegal, and left in the first round.
Mubarak explained in a statement to Qatar News Agency that the task seems difficult in light of the team’s presence in a strong group with the teams of Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which requires the players to make double efforts in order to appear differently than the team did in the qualifiers or in the Arab Cup in its previous edition.
He pointed out that the list summoned by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui includes many elements of experience, in light of the presence of players who have previously played in many continental or global tournaments, but this will not be enough unless the team shows solidity and a strong personality in all of its first matches in the group stage.
He added in this context, “In comparison with the level we showed in the qualifiers or in the Arab Cup, we need a double effort so that the team regains the strength it had in the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cup tournaments, when it won the title twice in a row, presenting itself with a different face to sit on the throne of the Asian continent.”
He continued, “During the qualifying campaign, we did not perform as expected, especially since the opportunity was conducive to qualifying directly, after the team entered that stage, and it is a prominent candidate, as the champion of the 2023 Asian Cup, which it hosted on its home soil, and after losing the opportunity to qualify directly in the third round, the mission was accomplished through the Asian playoff, in which the team showed a different level to be able to secure its place in the finals.”
Regarding the second group in which the Qatari team is present, he said, “We are in a very difficult group that includes strong teams such as Switzerland and Canada, and even Bosnia, which qualified at the expense of Italy, and seeking to qualify for the round of 32 requires winning at least one of the three matches.”
He pointed out that a balance in performance is required by coach Julen Lopetegui, between interest in strengthening the defensive aspects, and ensuring the availability of offensive efficiency that helps the team reach the goal of its competitors and produce the desired results, which contribute to reaching the ambitions and goals set, especially since he had an important friendly experience with the Irish national team that was an opportunity to determine technical readiness, before concluding preparations with another friendly match with the El Salvador national team also in the United States, which is an important experience. A few days before the finals.
The former Qatari national team player expressed his hope to focus on each match separately, starting with the first confrontation with the Swiss national team, which will be an important key to an ideal start despite the great strength of the opposing team, which includes players participating in the high level of the European leagues, and then thinking about meeting the Canadian national team on its soil, which is another task that seems more difficult, before concluding the group stage by facing the Bosnia national team.
He concluded his statement by emphasizing that the World Cup is a different tournament, but the opportunity to qualify for the next round seems available despite the difficulty of the task in light of the increase in the number of teams to 48 as of this edition, which provides the opportunity for many teams to record a new history by reaching the qualifying rounds for the first time.
It is worth noting that Al-Anabi is preparing for its second appearance in the World Cup finals, after its first participation in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as a host when it competed in that edition in a group that included Ecuador, the Netherlands and Senegal, and left in the first round.
