Qatar will be bidding to make it three straight victories when they take on Cambodia in an international friendly at the Al-Gharrafa Stadium in Al Rayyan on Sunday.
The home side were last in action on November 21, recording a 3-0 win over India in a 2026 World Cup qualification clash, while Cambodia lost 1-0 to Pakistan in their first-round World Cup qualifier on October 17, so their chances of being present at the competition have already ended.
Match preview
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Qatar famously hosted the 2022 World Cup, but it proved to be a tough tournament for the national side, as they lost all three of their games to Ecuador, Senegal and Netherlands to exit in the group stage.
The Maroons are now attempting to secure a position in the 2026 World Cup, and they have made a strong start to their Group A campaign, picking up six points from their opening two matches, beating Afghanistan 8-1 in their opener before recording a 3-0 win over India last time out.
Tintin Marquez's side are currently preparing to compete in the Asian Cup, with their Group A campaign due to begin on January 12 against Lebanon, while they will also take on China and Tajikistan in the group stage.
Qatar are the reigning champions of the Asian Cup, recording a 3-1 win over Japan in the final of the 2019 competition, so they will be bidding to defend the trophy in the tournament on home soil.
The Maroons will play two friendlies before their competition opener with Lebanon, taking on Cambodia on Sunday before tackling Jordan on January 4.
Cambodia, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Pakistan on October 17, which ended their chances of being present at the 2026 World Cup.
Felix Dalmas's side had drawn 0-0 with Pakistan in their first match on October 12, but a one-goal loss in the reverse fixture meant that they were unable to progress to the second round.
Cambodia were last in friendly action in September 2023, recording a 4-0 victory over Macau, which proved to be their first success in a non-competitive fixture since June 2022.
The visitors should provide competitive opposition for Qatar on Sunday, although there is not much experience in their squad, with Soeuy Visal, Sareth Krya and Sos Suhana the only three players to have represented the national side on more than 13 occasions.
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Team News
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Qatar head coach Marquez will make the full use of his squad during the upcoming two friendly matches, but a strong XI is expected to take to the field for the first whistle.
There is plenty of experience in the set-up, with Boualem Khoukhi (110) one of three players to have over 100 caps for the national team alongside Hassan Al-Haydos (176) and Abdulaziz Hatem (112).
Almoez Ali is the leading goalscorer in the squad with 47, and he is expected to feature in the final third of the field alongside Akram Afif, who has struck 26 times at this level of football.
As for Cambodia, the most experienced player in their squad is defender Visal, and he is expected to win his 77th cap for the national side in this match.
There should also be a spot in midfield for Suhana, who has represented his country 73 times, while Sa Ty could be joined by Nick Taylor in the final third of the field.
Taylor was born in the United States but qualified for Cambodia through his mother, and he scored his first goal for the national side against Brunei last December.
Qatar possible starting lineup:
Al-Sheeb; Ro-Ro, Khoukhi, Salman, Al-Rawi; Al-Haydos, Hatem, Waad, Fatehi; Afif, Ali
Cambodia possible starting lineup:
Kimhuy; S Rotana, Visal, Sophanat, Krya; S Suhana, Ogawa, Lyhour, Kakada; Ty, Taylor
We say: Qatar 3-0 Cambodia
Cambodia are capable of making this a competitive match for Qatar, but the home side should be too strong when it comes to the scoreline. Qatar could score more than three, but the changes that are likely to occur throughout the match are likely to interrupt the flow.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
