The Qatari team, burdened by significant absences, will attempt to repeat its qualification to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup for football when it faces its Panamanian counterpart this Saturday in Texas. This competition, in which Qatar is participating as an invitee, continues in the United States and Canada until July 16.
Mexico, an eight-time champion, will meet Costa Rica in the next match also on Saturday in Dallas. Meanwhile, Canada is set for a fierce encounter with the United States, the reigning champion, on Sunday in Cincinnati, which will also host a match between Guatemala and Jamaica on the same day.
The "Al-Annabi" team finished third in the previous edition after losing to the United States by a single goal in the semi-finals, a tournament that saw the "Uncle Sam" team crowned for the seventh time in its history.
The Qatari team secured its place in the quarter-finals after a precious and rare victory over Mexico, the leader of Group Two, which also qualified after finishing second.
Determination and Will to Overcome Absences -
The technical staff of the "Al-Adham" team, led by Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, is hopeful for the return of Almoez Ali, the top scorer of the previous edition (4 goals), after recovering from a muscle strain that kept him out of the last three matches. The numerous absences of Qatar's stars in the first round, including standout goalkeeper Meshal Barsham, and players Ahmed Fathi, Mohammed Waad, Tariq Salman, and Tamim Mansour Mafteah due to the accumulation of warnings, as well as Yousef Abdelrazak who was sent off after a scuffle at the end of the match with Honduras, have been at the forefront of challenges heading into the Panama match.
According to the regulations of the North and Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF), warnings do not drop off after the end of the first round.
Midfielder Mustafa Meshal, who Queiroz will rely heavily on in the midfield, affirmed that the team is improving with every match. His teammate Asim Madibo noted that Al-Annabi will harness determination, will, and a fighting spirit to achieve victory and overcome the absences.
Queiroz Continues to Motivate -
In his way, the experienced Portuguese coach renewed his motivation for his players through his platforms on social media, affirming that what has been achieved is the result of effort and a stance from a great team.
Queiroz (70 years old) said, "The result is a reward for the will to win and the fighting spirit despite all the difficulties."
The coach, who characterized the first round with his criticisms of the referees, added, "Certainly, we still have a long way to go to be where we want to be."
He continued, "(...) let's maintain our humility and prepare for the next stage."
Following a disappointing performance in the World Cup on home soil, where they exited from the group stage without any wins or draws, Qatar's participation in the Gold Cup represents a robust preparation for the upcoming stage brimming with important qualifications. Most notably among these are the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup finals and the Asian Cup, which will be hosted by the current title holder in Doha early next year.
For his part, Panama's Spanish coach, Tomas Christiansen, considered after the draw with El Salvador in the final round that his team has achieved its goal in the first round by topping the group.
Panama, which previously clinched the runner-up position in the tournament twice in 2005 and 2013, topped their group after consecutive wins over Costa Rica and Martinique and a draw with El Salvador.
Under Christiansen's leadership, Panama, which is one place ahead of Qatar in the world ranking (57 versus 58), faces the Asian champions for the second time in the Gold Cup after their first encounter on July 14, 2021. That match ended in a 3-3 draw in the inaugural group stage match. Back then, the goals for Al-Annabi, under the leadership of former coach Felix Sanchez, were successively scored by the trio Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, and Hassan Al-Haydos.
In its eleventh participation, tenth consecutive, Panama relies on its right winger Joel Barcenas (29 years old), one of the first-round stars who previously played professionally with Girona and Real Oviedo in Spain and currently plays with Mazatlan in Mexico. Panama also relies on its left winger Ismael Diaz (26 years old), who plays professionally with Universidad Catolica in Chile.
AFP