Qatar players during a training session at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar head coach Luis Garcia has urged his players to give their best as they face North Korea in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium tonight.
With only four matches remaining, Qatar must secure full points in their remaining Group A fixtures to strengthen their chances of finishing in the top two and achieving automatic qualification for the expanded 48-team tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Currently sitting in fourth place in the group with seven points, the reigning Asian champions are trailing group leaders Iran by nine points and second-placed Uzbekistan by six points.
Garcia will be guiding Qatar for the first time in the World Cup qualifiers after leading the team in the Arabian Gulf Cup, where Qatar was eliminated in the group stage. The Spaniard remains optimistic that his team can secure automatic qualification with strong performances in the upcoming matches.
“We have a clear goal, which is to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time in history. We will take it step by step, and our current focus is on the match against North Korea,” Garcia said during a pre-match press conference yesterday.
Qatar was held to a thrilling 2-2 draw by North Korea in the first leg, and Garcia is expecting another tough clash.
“We are prepared for this crucial match. It will not be an easy challenge against North Korea and the players are required to give their maximum effort. The team is excited about playing at home, where we aim to collect three points and get back on track for direct qualification,” he added.
Qatar will be led by Akram Afif, whom Garcia described as a “magnificent player” and someone who “can make a difference.”
The coach also recalled senior players Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan and Abdulaziz Hatem while Pedro Miguel and Edmilson Junior are set to make their international returns from injury.
Sitting alongside the coach, Qatar defender Homam Al Amin emphasised the importance of securing a victory.
“This match is extremely important for our qualifying campaign and we must give everything to secure a win,” he said. “We are determined to achieve a result that will put the team on the right track. We are excited to have the support of our home fans.”
North Korea, currently sitting at the bottom of the group with only two points, are aiming to bounce back in their qualifying campaign.
Coach Sin Yong-Nam expressed confidence in his team’s preparations for the match.
“We are well-prepared for the match after a short training camp in Jordan, where we also played a friendly match to test our readiness for this important game,” he said.
“Qatar will be extremely difficult. They are a team with talented players and are the Asian Cup champions. We will need to give our best and aim for a positive result in this tough match. I am confident that my players will give their maximum effort to achieve the desired result.”
North Korean defender Jang Kuk-chol said, “It will be a very tough challenge playing against Qatar on their home ground, but we are aiming for a win and to secure three points. We will need to stick to our plan and fight until the last minute to achieve our goal in the match.”
The match is set to kick off at 9:15 pm. Qatar will face Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday, before wrapping up their group campaign with matches against Iran on June 5 and Uzbekistan on June 10.
Teams that don’t finish in the top two will remain in the hunt for qualification, as the third and fourth-placed teams in the three Asian groups will advance to an additional round of qualifying.
