Lopetegui Hails 'Morale Boosting Win'

Doha, Qatar: Julen Lopetegui began his reign as Qatar's head coach on a positive note, guiding the reigning Asian champions to a crucial 1-0 win over Iran in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers - Group A clash on Thursday.

Pedro Miguel's first-half goal was enough for Al Annabi to seal the victory in front of home fans at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.

Qatar capitalized on their numerical advantage after Iran were reduced to 10 men when Milad Mohammadi was sent off in the 35th minute. They secured a place in the play-off round, where two more spots for the 2026 showpiece remain up for grabs.

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"We had every incentive to win, and we worked hard to put in a good performance. We won and were able to finish the match in our favour. This was my first match with the Qatari national team and winning is of course an important incentive for everyone." Lopetegui said after the win.

“We played against the best team in the group, one that had already qualified for the World Cup,” coach Lopetegui said.

“We wanted to win to qualify for the playoffs and that's what we did."

Iran's coach Amir Ghalenoei (right) congratulates Qatar coach Julian Lopetegui. AFP

“The players adhered to the instructions completely, and the victory is a motivation for what's coming. We have another match ahead of us, and we must also focus because it will be an important building block for what's to come," the La Liga legend said.

Pleased with his squad's discipline and commitment in his maiden assignment, the Spanish coach added:“It's a great morale boost. The players followed the tactical plan perfectly. Now we shift focus to the next challenge - we still have work to do.”

Following his match-winning performance, Al Annabi defender Miguel said his team deserved the outcome.

"It was a tough match and we fought until the final minutes. We look forward to continuing in the same vein against Uzbekistan," the Man of the Match Miguel said.

"We have great ambition and will continue working to maintain our hopes of reaching the World Cup. We thank our fans for their presence in the stadium stands and their continued support. It will be a great incentive for us to double our efforts and deliver our best," the Al Sadd star added.

On the other hand, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei said the second yellow card played a crucial role.

"I think the match was good. Both teams performed well and we started well. There were some moments in the match, especially the second yellow card for our player, which caused us to lose some control at the end of the first half but we improved in the second half,” Ghalenoei said.

"The Iranian league ended early, and some players waited 20 days (to play), and our situation was different from Qatar's. Seven of our main players were injured but the young players were good and I am very optimistic about the future.”

Qatar now gear up for another crucial encounter against Uzbekistan, who have already secured qualification.

The match will take place at the Milliy Stadium in Tashkent on June 10.

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