Four points from four games have made Al Annabi’s chances of direct qualification arduous but massive improvements will still be needed for alternative routes of making it to the next World Cup.
By the time the final whistle went off at Dubai’s Rashid Stadium, one thing had become eerily clear: Qatar’s World Cup 2026 Asian Qualifiers campaign had started mirroring the ghosts of previous campaigns.
The 4-1 loss against Iran on Tuesday was Qatar’s second loss in four games in Group A and a stark contrast to what the journey to the third round had looked like for Al Annabi.
Qatar had cruised past their group in the second round and even on occasions where the young ones were called to action and the experienced players were rested, they showed up.
Coincidentally, it was a 3-2 victory against Iran in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup 2023 earlier this year that helped put Bartolome Marquez Lopez — who was then a caretaker — as the permanent.
In Dubai, however, things fell on the opposite side: an Iranian side that many had called off after that loss came back to make Qatar’s hopes of qualifying directly from their group to the next World Cup trickier.
“We were not consistent today,” Marquez Lopez said after the loss that puts them in fourth place, six points away from Iran and Uzbekistan, the sides that currently occupy the top two spots.
“They performed better than us […] our goal of qualifying for the World Cup has not still changed – the opportunity is still there,” the Spaniard added.
After all, the loss felt like a repeat of Qatar’s recent games as they blew away the lead after starting in a stellar manner.
Almoez Ali ran at the back of the Iranian defence to meet Lucas Mendes’ long ball and followed up with a powerful strike in the 17th minute to make Qatar’s first chance of the night count.
Iran’s star-studded attacking line continued to threaten the Al Annabi backline since the start and that only picked up more intensity after conceding.
The continuous piling of pressure on the Maroons finally paid off in the 42nd minute as Sardar Azmoun headed Omid Noorafkan’s cross to equalise.
Despite a few flashes of brilliance, courtesy of Akram Afif’s combination with full-back Abdelkarim Hassan, Qatar then started to look like a shadow of the side that had knocked Iran out at the Al Thumama Stadium.
The restart then made things worse for Marquez Lopez’s men as Azmoun quickly scored. Goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham’s mishap inside the box while attempting to clear Mehdi Ghayedi’s cross fell for Azmoun with the entire post to aim at, giving Team Melli the lead just three minutes into the second half.
Mohammad Mohebi, who had set the tie’s tone with attempts earlier in the first half, then made it 3-1 in the 65th minute off Azmoun’s assist.
With a cushioning lead, head coach Amir Ghalenoei made several changes, taking off Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi and Azmoun to introduce some fresh legs.
It was Mohebi who found the target in the eighth minute of added time to double his individual tally and expose Qatar’s defensive lapses.
Al Annabi have now conceded ten goals in four matches of the third round and will have plenty to work on before hosting group leaders Uzbekistan in Doha on November 14.
“We have to fight for our chances until the end,” Qatar’s head coach Marquez Lopez said of the remaining matches and the route ahead. “There are still points to be earned from the six matches remaining and we must focus on them.”
As for the Iranian side that now sits with a six-point lead in the direct qualification spot, this win has only elevated the faith in the current generation.
“Football isn’t for seeking revenge, but our people want us to redeem our loss to Qatar in the Asian Cup 2023 semifinal,” team captain Taremi had told the dressing room before the side headed out to the tunnel.
With a 4-1 drubbing to make Qatar’s chances of direct qualification slim, Iran might have just found the avenge that they were looking for.
