The preliminary squad for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait will exclude some big names under new coach Luis Garcia.
Qatar’s new head coach Luis Garcia has announced the preliminary squad with a string of high-profile changes for the Arabian Gulf Cup — also called Khaleeji Zain 26 — set to take place later this month in Kuwait.
Drawn in Group A, Al Annabi will face the likes of the UAE, Oman, and hosts Kuwait in the 26th edition of the tournament, looking to better their group stage exit in 2023.
Changes in the Al Annabi squad under new tutelage see several well-performing players in the Ooredoo Stars League fill the spots of an experienced pack of players, in addition to the absentees due to injuries.
Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Karim Boudiaf, and Abdulaziz Hatem will not be travelling to Kuwait among other regulars, whereas the likes of Pedro Miguel, Edmilson Junior, and Mohammed Waad will miss out due to injuries.
There are thirteen changes to the squad that faced Uzbekistan and the UAE in November, including the return of experienced midfielder Assim Madibo, defender Mohammed Ayash as well as youth forward Ahmed Al-Rawi.
The 29-man squad also includes the likes of youth players Mohamed Khaled Gouda and Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain, who have previously impressed in the youth ranks.
The team will still have the core of Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Fathy, and Lucas Mendes, all of whom were pivotal under Marquez Lopez.
But perhaps the most striking change was that of the head coach’s position, announced earlier on Wednesday, moments after the Qatar Football Association’s decision to part ways with Bartolome Marquez Lopez was made public.
Garcia was Marquez Lopez’s assistant since the Spaniard took charge of Al Annabi a year ago, on the eve of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 which Qatar eventually ended up winning.
“All appreciation and gratitude to coach Marquez Lopez for his dedication and the achievements he brought during his time leading our national team,” QFA said in a social media post announcing the 62-year-old’s departure, with a “Thank You Marquez Lopez” poster.
Marquez Lopez had come under pressure after Qatar’s poor run of form in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers, where the side has only managed to win two from six games played so far.
That has severely dented the Asian champions’ hopes of directly qualifying for the tournament in North America with the top two spots looking very unlikely. The latest 5-0 drubbing away at the UAE further complicated the chances.
The Spanish coach, however, had continued to defend his approach and style of play that saw his side secure a narrow win against Uzbekistan after a win at home against Kyrgyz Republic.
“Since the first day, we’ve played with the same formation and style. We’re not going to change that. We won the Asian Cup with this approach, and so far, we’ve been largely successful,” Marquez Lopez had said ahead of the Uzbekistan clash.
The attention will now shift to his assistant Garcia, who had joined the Qatar national team following a relatively unsuccessful stint at Espanyol, a club he had formerly represented as a player.
Garcia’s appointment could be a temporary one, according to some reports, much like Marquez Lopez’s last December, which ultimately got extended after the Asian Cup win.
That will put Qatar in a similar situation as the last Gulf Cup in 2023, where the team was headed by caretaker manager Bruno Miguel after longstanding coach Felix Sanchez’s departure.
Qatar’s preliminary squad
Goalkeepers
Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Mohammed Al-Bakri (Al Wakrah), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Marwan Sherif (Al Ahli).
Defenders
Lucas Mendez (Al Wakrah), Almahdi Ali (Al Wakrah), Tarek Salman (Al Sadd), Sultan Al-Brake (Al Duhail), Abdullah Al-Yazidi (Al Sadd), Homam Ahmed (Al Duhail), Abdullah Yousif (Al Gharafa), Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain (AD Alcorcon B), Bahaa Ellethy (Al Ahli), Hazem Shehata (Al Rayyan), Mohammed Ayash (Al Duhail).
Midfielders
Abdullah Al-Ahrak (Al Duhail), Abdelrahman Moustafa (Al Ahli), Assim Madibo (Al Gharafa), Ahmed Fathy (Al Arabi), Jassim Jaber (Al Arabi), Ibrahim Al-Hassan (Calahorra), Moustafa Meshaal (Al Sadd), Naif Al-Hadhrami (Al Shahania).
Forwards
Akram Afif (Al Sadd), Almoez Ali (Al Duhail), Yusuf Abdurisag (Al Sadd), , Mohammed Muntari (Al Gharafa), Ahmed Al-Rawi (Al Rayyan), Mohamed Khaled Gouda (Calahorra), Rabh Boussafi (Al Gharafa), Rashid Al-Abdulla (Al Duhail).
