Doha: Already-qualified Qatar will be looking to finish the Group C stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying of the Asian Zone with a perfect record when they take on China in an away match at the Shaanxi Province Stadium in Xi’an today.
Much focus will be on China as Gao Hongbo’s charges need a win at home or face the very real prospect of yet another early elimination from World Cup qualifying.
China will try to continue their 2018 World Cup hopes alive as they clash with undefeated Group C leaders Qatar as the 2018 World Cup qualifier’s group stage winds down.
Both teams go into the match having registered wins in the their last matches.
China hammered Maldives, 4-0, in their last match to stay in the hunt for a World Cup berth.
The win gave Team Dragon its fourth victory in the Group C standings.
On the other hand, Qatar blanked Hong Kong, 2-0, at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha last Thursday to stay unbeaten.
Strikers Hassan Al Haiydos and Sebastian Soria scored in the 20th and 87th minute respectively to give head coach Jose Daniel Carreno’s side their seventh win of the group stage. They have the chance to sweep Group C if they win against China today.
Today’s match promises to be a nervous night for the Chinese against a side with momentum and form on their side.
While the world’s most populous nation have stumbled through qualifying, leaders Qatar have remained perfect with 21 points in their kitty.
With Qatar already assured of first place after seven straight wins, the focus will now be on second-placed China as they bid to finish as one of the four best runners-up.
However, it will not be easy for Hongbo’s charges as they currently sit two spots outside the top four in the rankings, and host a Qatar side looking to finish the stage with a perfect record.
Hong Kong, who are not in action on Tuesday, are assured of finishing in third, while Maldives have all but sewn up fourth spot ahead of their home game against Bhutan.
Meanwhile, Qatar will miss the services of Hassan Al Haydos and Sebstian Soria who are out on suspension. Ali Asad is also suspended while Ahmed Yasser is out with injury.
Qatar beat China PR in their first leg 1-0 when the two teams clashed in Doha in October last year.
Qatar arrived in China on Sunday evening. Qatar squad: Saad Abdullah Al Sheeb, Khalifa Abu Bakr, Mohammed Kasola, Bualem Khoukhi, Ahmed Yasser, Abdulrehman Isa, Pedro Miguel, Mohammed Musa, Musab Khidr, Abdulkareem Hassan, Khalid Muftah, Kareem Buodiaf, Luiz Martin, Abdulrehman Mohammed, Abdulaziz Hatem, Hassan Khalid, Ali Asad, Rodrigo Tabata, Akram Afif, Majid Mohammed, Mohammed Muntari, Meshael Abdullah, Ismael Mohammed and Ahmed Alaa.The Peninsula
