Asian Cup 2023: Qatar and Lebanon kick off with high hopes amidst constraints
Doha: When Qatar and Lebanon head out to open the Asian Cup on Friday, it will be a proving ground for both sides, yet also an opportunity to rub out their respective bygone woes.
For Qatar and Hassan Al Haydos, the opener at Lusail Stadium – one of the only two games to be hosted at the pitch that anointed Lionel Messi – will be a shot at compensating for the woes of the World Cup opener and more so as the reigning champions.
Qatar will have now opened three tournaments at home in more than just three years by the kickoff. While the Annabi opened the Arab Cup with a narrow yet comfortable win against rivals Bahrain, the grandest of them all did not fall into place.
A lot of expectations on Qatar, who began life under former Al Wakrah head coach Bartolomé “Tintín” Márquez López in December, come because of the 2019 campaign. Punching above their weight, the Maroons’ performance at the Sheikh Zayed Sports City Stadium to defeat Japan and lift the cup was emblematic of their run – resilient, flamboyant, and most importantly, clutch.
On Saturday, ideally, expectations on the home side will, by all means, start with a win and build things as the tournament progresses.
“We are playing the Asian Cup as title holders and in our own home, so we have to perform and show to the fans that we mean business,” Al Haydos said. “We are always required to win in any game and championship we partake in.” That expectation comes from the fact that a large pack of players from the triumphant side of five years ago still make the core of the squad. “I think the 2019 generation raised our levels and ambitions,” he added.
Qatar’s title defense, however, will be impacted by two factors: how well the set of players that have come in after 2019 blend with the core and if just a month under Márquez López is enough.
“It is not an easy challenge but the short preparation was made easy by my familiarity with the players during my time here,” the 62-year-old Spaniard said on Thursday, claiming the pressure is what makes him like jobs in football. A loss and a win under his belt is not telling, but if anything, his reign at Al Wakrah, which saw him operate within the tightropes and challenge the Al Sadd-Al Duhail duopoly for brief, will give the Maroons some hope.
On Lebabon’s half, though, the clash will be an opportunity to restore the lost battle of 2019, where the Cedars lost 2-0 against the eventual winners under controversial circumstances. A disallowed goal against the run of play meant Lebanon never really got going and was flattened by a seemingly more organized Qatari side in the next 45 minutes. Hassan Matouk, who was there on the pitch to experience it all, will be captaining the Lebanese side on Friday and considers an upset might be on the cards for the home side.
“When we met in the last Asian Cup, it was difficult. Scoring won’t be easy but we have to try. We have to close down spaces because we know the individual abilities of the players,” the 36-year-old said.
While Maatouk, who declared the 2023 edition to be his continental competition last for the country, sets his eyes on qualifying for the knockouts for the first time in history, his team are faced with a similar challenge as the hosts. Miodrag Radulović has only been with the team for close to a month as the head coach, yet like Marquez Lopez, banks on his familiarity and workarounds in tight deadlines to salvage wins.
The Montenegrian returned to Beirut for a second stint following his successful first, one that saw Lebanon qualify for their first Asian Cup and compete against Qatar in the opener in 2019. For Radulović too, the important task will be to lift the team up from the recent run of winless games – except the friendly win against Jordan in December – and to punch above their weights.
“In football, progress takes time, it’s not an overnight achievement,” he said, hinting ample time for preparation would be ideal. Yet, the former 56-year-old re-iterated optimism, underscoring the side’s blend of experience and new flair, a similar case in point as their rivals on Friday.
“We have the potential, and I am optimistic about our chances. I know many of the players in this group, a combination of experience and youth. Tomorrow, we need to be psychologically prepared from the start,” Radulović added.
As the Hassans and their sides face in Lusail, it will be a marker of who – either Márquez López or Radulović – has made the most out of the premium time and profound local experience and the successful one will walk out as winners.
