DOHA (Qatar): FIFA World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar will resume their 2023 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers 2023 and World Cup qualifying campaign behind closed doors against Bangladesh at Al Duhail Stadium on Friday.
In what promises to be an absorbing tie, 1,800 tickets have been made available for fans to watch the first Asian Qualifiers match to be played in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic having forced the postponement of fixtures scheduled in March and June.
It will be the first and only qualifier in the Asian continent to be held in pandemic-hit 2020, with the change in schedule approved by FIFA.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh team underwent Covid-19 Test with the manager and physiotherapist tested positive.
Bangladesh player SM Monjurul Rahman had tested positive following tests last week last in Dhaka following his team’s matches against Nepal in the ‘Mujib Borsho’ FIFA International Football Series at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on November 13 and November 17 before heading to Qatar.
Qatar lead Group E with 13 points
The winners of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup lead the standings with 13 points from their first five games and, with a nine-point lead over third placed Afghanistan and three matches remaining, the Qataris know a solitary point will take them four points clear of second-placed Oman.
Winning the group will assure Qatar their place in China 2023, which they can also achieve by finishing as one of the best four second-placed teams at the end of the second round of the Asian Qualifiers.
Reigning AFC Player of the year Akram Afif and his predecessor Abdel Karim Hassan are among nine players from Qatar Stars League leaders Al Sadd SC to be included in the 23-man selection, while Almoez Ali, the leading scorer at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, is one of six from Al Duhail SC to feature.
Top team from each of the eight Asian qualifying groups is guaranteed passage into the next phase of qualifying for Qatar 2022, with the four best second-placed teams to join them.
However, with Qatar having qualified as hosts, the fifth second-placed best team will advance to the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers should Qatar emerge as Group E winners.
(Inputs from AFC)
