Qatar Set To Meet Bahrain In Friendly With Eye On World Cup Play-Off Preparations

Doha, Qatar: Qatar are set to face Bahrain in a friendly today, with head coach Julen Lopetegui closely monitoring his squad ahead of next month's FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian play-offs.

The Asian champions held a brief camp at Education City Stadium before taking on Bahrain at Al Thumama Stadium, with kick-off set for 6:15pm. Qatar will also face Russia on Sunday at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in their final friendly of the international break.

These matches are part of Qatar's build-up to crucial World Cup play-offs, where they must beat Oman on October 8 and the UAE on October 14 to book their ticket to the 2026 showpiece.

A second-place finish would mean a two-legged play-off on November 13 and 18 for a spot in the FIFA Playoff Tournament – the final route to the World Cup.

Lopetegui's men began preparations with a camp in Austria in July, with most players since returning to club duty in the ongoing Qatar Stars League season.

Veteran forwards Hassan Al Haydos and Almoez Ali will miss both friendlies due to injury. Al Haydos, who recently reversed his international retirement, is expected to return for the play-offs, while Almoez remains doubtful.

Akram Afif will lead Qatar's attack, joined by Ahmed Alaaeldin, Mohammed Muntari, and Ahmed Al Rawi.

Yesterday, Lopetegui also called up forward Yusuf Abdurisag for the two friendlies.

Al Sadd's Guilherme Torres, who featured in club friendlies during the Austria camp, could make his international debut.

Qatar suffered an injury setback with Ahmed Al Ganehi ruled out of the two games after sustaining a left calf muscle injury.

“The injury is expected to sideline him for a period of two to three weeks, according to the initial medical diagnosis,” the Qatar Football Association (QFA) said in a statement yesterday.

The QFA also announced a hamstring injury to Ismael Mohammed during the national training camp.

“He is currently undergoing further tests under the supervision of the medical staff to determine his treatment programme and recovery period before returning to the pitch,” the QFA added.

Despite inconsistent recent form, Qatar, ranked 53rd in the FIFA rankings, are clear favourites against 89th-ranked Bahrain.

Bahrain, eliminated in the third round of Asian qualifiers, are now focused on this year's FIFA Arab Cup, scheduled to take place in Qatar from December 1 to 18.

Dragan Talajic's men are eyeing a spot in the regional tournament and will face Djibouti in a one-off qualifier in November.

Their squad includes U-17 player Hussain Zuhair, a surprise inclusion for their current friendlies, including a match against the UAE on Monday.

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