Khalid Tawalbeh
Doha
The biggest sporting event on Earth is all set for the big kick-off on Sunday, with the hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador at the magnificent Al Bayt Stadium.
And the Qatar national team have left no stone unturned to make this a memorable World Cup debut.
"Our morale is very high,” Captain Hassan Al Haydos told Qatar Tribune in an exclusive interview on the eve of the World Cup.
Al Haydos, who is also one of the most prominent players in the Qatar QNB Stars League and the captain of Al Sadd Club, spoke about his hopes and ambitions, his team’s preparations and their training ahead of the biggest sporting event, especially for their first confrontation against the Ecuadorian national team.
Al Haydos stressed that everyone in the national team will strive to honour Qatari football at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. He called on the fans to support the national team during all of their matches, which will be a great incentive for the players to deliver their best.
He said the national team will do their best to give an outstanding performance and bring joy to the fans.
On the preparations of the national team for the World Cup, Al Haydos said the national team is ready in all respects. "We are waiting impatiently for the whistle, which is the moment we have been waiting for, for a long time. And now we are just hours away from the big kick-off.”
"We hope it will be an exceptional edition in everything,” he said.
Speaking about the team’s morale for the opening match, Al Haydos said, "The morale is high and the team has worked hard over the past years and it is an honour for us to be among those who represent Qatari football globally and at the World Cup for the first time.”
The 32-year-old leader added that the Qatari national team have played many continental tournaments in the past on the way to preparing for this major tournament.
"During the camps, we played several friendly matches. They were very important experiences for us. Everyone has reached the required degree of readiness and we are waiting for the moment of the starting whistle for the opening match.”
Al Haydos stressed, "We are participating for the first time in the history of Qatari football in the World Cup, which represents a great challenge for us, but we will do everything possible for an honourable appearance.”
Regarding his expectations for the World Cup, Al Haydos said Qatar has prepared for this big event wonderfully. "The infrastructure and sports facilities are great and everyone is talking about it. It is a pride for me as a Qatari to see all this development and change in my country.”
Al Haydos called on the Qatari and Arab fans to encourage Annabi. "This is an invitation to the fans to stand behind the national team in the real test of the World Cup.”
"Their support for us will be a motivation to give the best.”
The Al Annabi captain said, "Hosting the World Cup in Qatar is a historic event and a source of pride for every person on Arab soil. The world’s attention is on the region for an exceptional football festival in which four Arab national teams are participating.”
He said, "The country’s hosting of the World Cup will leave a sustainable legacy that will benefit individuals and communities in Qatar and the world, starting from the infrastructure projects completed by the state on the way to preparing for the championship, bringing the peoples of the world closer under the umbrella of football, and contributing to dispelling misconceptions about Qatar and the Arab world, after the success of an Arab Muslim country in organising the largest sporting event in the world.”
The Qatar national team will begin their first participation in the World Cup from the Al Bayt stadium, to face Ecuador, who are participating in the World Cup for the fourth time.
Qatar will face Senegal in their second match at Al Thumama Stadium, before Annabi return to the Al Bayt stadium to face the Netherlands at the end of the group competitions.
The Qatar national team captain was born in Doha on December 11, 1990. He plays in the center of the attacking wing, and is considered one of the most important players of the golden generation of Qatari football which won the Asian Cup championship in the United Arab Emirates in January2019.
Al Haydos is also one of the symbols of Al Sadd Club; he has never worn the shirt of any other club.
The outstanding performance of this talented player got him a place in the first team of Al Sadd in 2007, when he was only 17. He quickly managed to book his place in the list of the team full of stars, contributing in good measure to the club’s many important achievements.
Al Haydos was crowned best player in Qatar in 2014 and 2015.