Asian Cup 2023: Qatar look to prove as a collective against China after a perfect start

When Qatar face China on Monday, it will be an occasion to establish themselves as serious contenders: that function as a collective and rise above over-dependence on individuals. 

Assuming they’ve successfully shaken off the World Cup woes – a campaign that saw neither Akram Afif nor his attacking partner Almoez Ali display their might – it should be a relatively straightforward clash for “Tintin” Marquez Lopez’s side against opponents that have looked far from convincing in the campaign. 

For Al Annabi, however, the clash will only prove successful if they come out of their shells of overdependence on Afif. 

An improved combined display against Tajikistan were encouraging, yet it again took Afif’s goal to get them across the line, assisted by Almoez again. The Al Sadd winger was humble enough to dismiss his side’s dependence on him after bagging his second consecutive man-of-the-match performance, emphasizing the combined effort of his peers. 

“Akram Afif would not have performed without other players and the coach,” he declared after the Tajikistan clash. Much of his coach’s words revolved around solidifying the team, finding their rhythm, and distributing match-winning duties to other players in case Afif-Almoez had off days. 

Afif has scored three in two matches – the tournament’s joint-highest scorer – whereas Almoez, switching to the provider’s role, has bagged two assists and a goal so far. Mohammed Waad remains the only other player to have been involved in a goal so far, pulling off an impressive ball for Almoez to score in the tournament opener. 

On Monday, it will be an ideal occasion for the Maroons to come out before the room for errors become too narrow as the tournament progresses. Marquez Lopez also hinted at making changes to the side that started with two wins – the one he took over on the eve of the tournament. 

“We will make some changes,” he emphasized ahead of the China clash. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to amend the formation or use less effective players. We have a roster of 26 players and they have a high level of performance.” 

With a performance that looked more fluid, yet not convincing enough against Tajikistan, a China side looking to keep its hopes alive with at least a draw could prove difficult to break down. China are yet to score a goal in the tournament, yet have not conceded one either. 

“It’s a privilege before the last game of the group stage that everything depends on you,” China head coach Aleksandar Jankovic said before the match. “It’s a privilege for a sportsman that he can decide his own destiny and that’s a clear message. And that’s why I say it’s a privilege because we depend on ourselves.”

It has been more than five years since the sides last met in an international friendly at the Khalifa International Stadium before Qatar impressed under Felix Sanchez to win the Asian Cup in 2019. Qatar are now ranked 35 places above their where they were in 2018, while China have largely stagnated in terms of performance and progress. 

That will play out on Monday evening as well – one side will look to bettering their winning performances, while the other will largely be chasing a point to qualify. Yet, a relatively new tenure under Marquez Lopez makes equations more exciting: there are no assurances.