(MENAFN- The Peninsula) By Rizwan Rehmat / The Peninsula
BASRA: Qatar will be aiming to make the most of their opportunity to play international football matches when they face hosts Iraq and Syria in a historic Three-Nation Friendship Tournament to be played this week, a team official said yesterday.
Coached by Felix Sanchez, Qatar team arrived in Basra yesterday ahead of their matches against Iraq and Syria. The team was warmly received by Iraq Football Association (IFA) officials.
'There are two more international matches on our calendar. We are delighted to get more match practice as we prepare for 2019 Asian Cup to be held in the UAE, Ali Salat, the team's media chief, said yesterday.
'This is a big opportunity for us to compete against Iraq, one of the toughest teams in Asia. Two of the best teams in Asia are here, Salat said.
'Also it will be a very important tournament for us to test our players, to test their fitness and their form. They will be playing tough matches here against Iraq and Syria, he added.
'The coach thinks thanks Iraq for their warm welcome. He feels this will be a great atmosphere by getting to see their own team playing on their home soil, Salat said.
FROM LEFT: Syria's head coach Bernd Stange, Iraqi coach Basim Qasim and Qatar coach Felix Sanchez pose for a photograph following a press conference held in Basra yesterday.
Qatar take on Iraq on March 21 followed by a clash against Syria on March 24.
The tri-series is the first official series of football matches since FIFA's decision to lift ban on hosting of games on Iraqi soil.
'We are allowing international matches to be staged in the cities of Arbil, Basra and Karbala, FIFA president Gianni Infantino told reporters last Thursday after a meeting of the FIFA Council in Bogota.
Two days ago, IFA President Abdul Khaleq Masoud praised the efforts made by Qatar Football Association (QFA) in convincing FIFA to lift the ban on holding official matches in Basra, Karbala and Erbil.
The QFA received a message from IFA who thanked the ‘excellent and great support' extended by QFA under the chairmanship of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani.
The IFA note said: 'On behalf of the members of the Board of Directors of the Iraq Football Association, and Iraqi sports fans, I extend my thanks and great gratitude to your efforts and your continuous and unlimited support of Iraqi football, which culminated in the decision of FIFA to allow us to host matches in Basra, Karbala and Erbil. '
The three cities had been hosting friendlies throughout last year as a test run, reports said on Friday.
This week's tri-series is the first for Qatar since their first-round exit at the Gulf Cup held in December in Kuwait. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the region's first.
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