Although Qatar was one player short, the Asian champions managed to claim another victory ahead of the 2021 Gold Cup. 

Qatar’s national football team defeated Salvador 1-0 in a friendly match at the Aldo Drosina Stadium in Pula city, Croatia, on Sunday.

In the final warm-up match, Abdulaziz Hatem was sent off with a red card, leaving Al Annabi with only 10 players on the field.

🎥 | Almoez Ali scores the opening goal for Qatar against El Salvador! pic.twitter.com/vB5iunjowu

— Qatar Football (@QFA_EN) July 4, 2021

However, Qatar’s number one striker, Almoez Ali, managed to secure a goal in the 69th minute to take the team ahead.

Al Annabi will be heading to the United States for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021, which will take place from 10 July to 1 August. The first match for the national team is scheduled for 14 July at the BBVA Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Felix Sanchez’s men, playing as a guest team for the first time in the tournament’s history, have been placed in Group D with Panama, Grenada and Honduras. 

Al Annabi are set to play against Panama on 13 July and will then go head-to-head with Grenada on the 17th before concluding the group stage against Honduras on the 20th.      

Read also: Qatar’s Al Annabi smashes Croatia B with 3-1 victory ahead of CONCACAF

Qatar is the only invitee at the 13-nation tournament, which puts more pressure on the team to dominate the field. 

The winning two teams from the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals on 25 July.

The Gulf country is the seventh guest nation to compete at the Gold Cup, and the first since 2005. 

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