(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Hosts Qatar have their task cut out in the FIFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers - they desperately require victories - if they are to stand any chance of securing a top-three position in their group.
Coach Jorge Fossati's side knows they face an uphill task but not an impossible one when they take on Group A leaders Iran at Al Sadd Stadium tomorrow in their pursuit to garner full points in the remaining matches.
Qatar are currently at the fifth spot with four points from five matches and will have to win maximum points from their remaining five matches to qualify for next year's World Cup in Russia.
Team Melli has been drawn along with South Korea, Uzbekistan, China, Qatar and Syria in Group A in the third round of the competition.
The Iranians currently lead Group A by a solitary point ahead of second-placed Korea Republic, and are set to host China at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran five days after the Qatar match.
Iran have 11 points, followed by South Korea (10 points), Uzbekistan remain hot on their heels in third place in the group with 9 points.
Syria lead the chasing pack but sit four points adrift of the Central Asians, while Qatar and China urgently require victories if they are to stand any chance of securing a top-three position.
Qatar have been preparing by playing a number of friendlies against Russia, Moldova and Azerbaijan and also played a friendly against the Qatar Olympic team in preparation for the crucial matches of the world Cup qualifiers.
A win for Iran will strengthen their position at the top of the group, while Al Annabi will have to be on the guard not to concede goals like they did in the away match in Tehran which they lost by two late goals.
Both goals were scored in the last moments of the game with first coming from Reza Ghoochannejhad who made it 10.
A few minutes later in extra time, Alireza Jahanbakhsh doubled the score with a very impressive shot from outside the box to hand Iran the full three points.
The list of 23 players chosen by head coach Carlos Queiroz does not, however, include the influential Ashkan Dejagah who has been ruled out following the calf injury he sustained while playing for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg last month.
The Iranian footballers arrived in Qatar on Saturday and have since been training under close supervision of their Portuguese coach Queiroz.
The visitors will be looking for a strong come back after being defeated by Iraq in a friendly match at Tehran's Azadi Stadium on Saturday, but Qatar are aiming to gain the most out of the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd. After the Iran match, Qatar travel to Tashkent to take on Uzbekistan on March 28.
Qatar next three matches are on June 13 against Korea Republic, Syria on August 31 while they conclude their engagements with a match against China on September 5.
The winner and runner-up of each group (four teams in total) will qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, while the third-placed teams of each group (two teams in total) will head to the play-off round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, a congested Group B sees just one point separating the top four teams with Saudi Arabia and Japan in first and second place, just ahead of Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Further back, Iraq and Thailand occupy the bottom two places in the standings and have a mountain to climb if they are to close the gap on the leading pack.
Saudi Arabia's bid to reach a fifth FIFA World Cup resumes in Thailand, while Japan will look to keep pace with the group leaders ahead of a tricky-looking tie with the UAE. Australia, meanwhile, must turn draws into wins to stay in touch with Group B's front runners.
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