Qatar vs India: Three players Blue Tiger must be wary of in the opposition

Bengaluru, September 9: India will be up against the Asian Champions Qatar in their second game of the round two joint qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Qatar, on Tuesday (September 10).

This will be the biggest test for Igor Stimac's boys following their heartbreak against Oman in the first game. India, despite leading the game against Oman for most parts, could not prevent a late comeback from Oman, who left home with all three points.

The Qatar game away from home will be a big test for the players as well as the new manager Igor Stimac. Qatar are a level above as an opponent compared to Oman and started their qualifying campaign on a high note by demolishing Afghanistan 6-0.

India must take a more careful approach against the reigning Asian champions if they want to salvage anything from the game. And even a draw will be a huge result.

In this article, we will discuss about three players of Qatar that will trouble Stimac and his boys:

3. Abdelkarim Hassan

Abdelkarim Hassan has been one of the best players for the Qatar side in recent years. The former Asian Player of the Year is tough to get past easily. He plays as a left-back and it will be tough for India to inflict much damage to Qatar from the right flank.

The 26-year-old Al-Sadd star also loves to bomb forward on every opportunity from the left flank and scores a decent number of goals as well. He was on target against Afghanistan in the 6-0 win and will be keen to have a good game against India as well. Stimac must be wary of the Qatar number three or else he can cause a great deal of damage to India.

2. Yusuf Abdurisag

The Golden boy of Qatar Yusuf Abdurisag will be a player India must be extra careful about. Just 20 years of age, the right-winger has pace to burn and is gifted technically. He is a deadly crosser and despite not being able to score a single goal against Afghanistan in the first game, he was one of the best players for Qatar. Subhasish Bose needs to be at his very best to stop the 20-year-old who is regularly monitored by a host of European clubs.

3. Almoez Ali

Indian defenders will face one of their biggest tests in their career when they come up against Almoez Ali, who is among the best strikers in Asia at the moment. The 23-year-old finished as the top-scorer in the Asian Cup earlier this year and was also named the best player of the tournament. The Al-Duhail striker scored a hat-trick against Afghanistan in the first game of their qualifier campaign and has what it takes to trouble the centre-back duo of Sandesh Jhingan and Adil Khan.