Qatar coach Luis Garcia
Doha, Qatar: Qatar coach Luis Garcia has said that the team is now focused on advancing to the fourth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers after missing out on an automatic spot for the football showpiece.
Kyrgyzstan defeated the reigning Asian champions 3-1 in Bishkek on Tuesday, effectively eliminating Qatar from contention for a top-two finish in Group A.
Iran, the group leaders, have already secured qualification with 20 points, while Uzbekistan (17 points) and the United Arab Emirates (13 points) are the other contenders for the second available spot from the group.
With 10 points, Qatar now face a challenge from fifth-placed Kyrgyzstan (six points) to reach the fourth round. Qatar’s remaining two matches are against Iran on June 5 and Uzbekistan on June 10, while Kyrgyzstan will face eliminated North Korea and Iran in their final two matches.
Garcia emphasised the team’s focus on the next two matches as they aim to secure a place in the next round.
“We must continue fighting and try to qualify for the World Cup. Our focus is on the last two matches, where we will aim to secure our place in the playoffs, and then we’ll see what happens next,” he said.
Kyrgyzstan’s victory was well-earned, as they outplayed and outworked the two-time Asian champions. Valeriy Kichin gave them the lead just before halftime. Lucas Mendes, who was sent off shortly after, equalised for Qatar seven minutes into the second half, but Kyrgyzstan proved too strong. Aleksandr Mishchenko and Alimardon Shukurov scored late to secure a famous win for their team.
“We’re certainly unhappy with this result, because we knew how we should have played, but in the end, the small details made the difference. The red card also affected us, as it came at a moment when we could have scored and taken the lead,” Garcia said.
Captain Akram Afif shared his disappointment following the defeat to Kyrgyzstan. He said that the team would assess their performance and learn from their mistakes in the remaining matches.
“Our goal is to qualify for the World Cup, and we must give our best to achieve it,” Afif said.
The fourth qualifying round will feature the third- and fourth-placed teams from the three third-round groups. These teams will compete in a single match at a centralised venue, with the winner from each group earning a place in the World Cup.
