Qualifying for the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 will be the focus of 14 nations when they take part in single play-off matches in Doha from 19-25 June.
Seven spots in the group stage are at stake, as participants from across the Arab world look to secure their place in the tournament, which will take place in Qatar from 30 November to 18 December. The showpiece event will support Qatar’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup™ and showcase the region’s passion for the beautiful game.
As per the FIFA Rankings, the following nine teams have already qualified for the tournament: Qatar (hosts), Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Syria. The 14 lower-ranked teams will contest play-offs to earn their spot in the tournament.
Two venues will host the qualifiers: Khalifa International Stadium – which is also one of eight Qatar 2022 tournament venues – and Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. All the matches will kick off at 8pm local time. Tickets for the matches are available from the Qatar Football Association website: tickets.qfa.qa
Fans who attend the matches must be fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in the last nine months. Qatar’s iconic Khalifa International Stadium will raise the curtain on the qualifiers on June 19 when African rivals Libya and Sudan clash for a spot in Group D alongside Algeria, Egypt and the winner of Lebanon versus Djibouti. Led by Spaniard Javier Clemente, Libya will be looking to make the group stage after missing out on qualification for next January’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations – a competition they finished as runners-up in back in 1982.
The Mediterranean Knights’ only international honour was winning the African Nations Championship in 2014. One of the pioneers in establishing the Africa Cup of Nations, Sudan are looking to revive past glories by securing their spot in Qatar later this year. The Falcons of Jediane have a proud footballing history, having hosted the first edition of Africa’s top competition in 1957 before winning the title on home soil in 1970.
A place in Group A alongside Qatar, Iraq and the winner of Bahrain versus Kuwait will be the prize for Oman or Somalia at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Oman will be keen for another crack at Qatar after finishing behind the Maroons in their World Cup qualifying group.
The Reds’ recent record has been impressive, having appeared in four of the last five AFC Asian Cups, with their best performance coming in 2019 when they reached the round of 16. Prior to that, Oman won two Arabian Gulf Cup titles (2009, 2017).
Their hopes of featuring at Qatar 2022 remain alive after they advanced to the third group stage of Asian zone qualifying earlier this month. Somalia will see this match as a huge opportunity to showcase themselves on a big stage.
The Ocean Stars’ hopes of qualifying for Qatar 2022 ended in the first round of African qualifying after defeat to Zimbabwe in September 2019. They have appeared in regional competitions such as the CECAFA Cup and featured at the Pan Arab Games in 1985.
