Qatar's national team is set to face Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Cup semi-finals this Saturday, October 3. The match follows Qatar's 1-1 draw with the United Arab Emirates in their last international outing on September 30.
The manager will aim to guide his side past the Saudi hurdle and into the final. Qatar's last five matches have yielded mixed results, with two wins, one draw, and two losses. Their most recent home victory was a 2-0 win against Bahrain on September 24.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, enters the clash on a winning run in the tournament, most recently defeating Iraq 2-0.
The upcoming match schedule is available on the fixtures page.
The manager is expected to field a starting lineup similar to the one that faced Bahrain, featuring goalkeeper Mohammed Abunada and defenders Boualem Khoukhi and Pedro Miguel. Kick-off is scheduled for 15:55 UTC.
The UAE's equalizing goal in the 1-1 draw with Qatar on September 30 was scored by forward Ali Saleh. It came in the 45+4th minute, according to live data. Qatar had taken the lead through striker Almoez Ali in the 33rd minute. UAE coach Zlatko Dalic said, "We were able to control the entire course of the match, especially in the second half."
The Qatari national team concluded its training on Friday ahead of its Gulf Cup semi-final against Saudi Arabia. The Qatar Football Association said coach Julen Lopetegui focused the final session on quick ball movement and movement in tight spaces. Qatari Minister of Sport Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the training to encourage the players.
Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Abdulqados Atiyyah confirmed his team's readiness to face Qatar in the Gulf Cup semi-final on Saturday evening. Atiyyah said, "We hope to win, and we will play against a strong team, the Asian champion." He added that the team's goal is to beat Qatar, reach the final, and then win the title. This comes hours before the match on October 3.
