Qatar out to prove team's worth

Hosting the Asian Cup for the second time in its history, Qatar will find itself under greater scrutiny than ever before after its shock victory in the race to hold the 2022 World Cup.

While the tournament provides the country with a chance to prove its capacity to organize the sport's showpiece event, the national team will look to demonstrate that it is worthy of a World Cup-hosting nation.

Critics of the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar pointed to an allegedly feeble football tradition in the country and its record on the international stage is far from impressive.

It has never qualified for the World Cup and its previous best showing in the Asian Cup was a quarterfinal exit at the hands of China in 2000.

In its six other appearances at the Asian football summit - including one as host in 1988 - it has failed to progress beyond the group phase.

Qatar's most recent tune-up game saw it held to a 0-0 draw by Iran, but French coach Bruno Metsu said he was not disheartened by the performance.

"I'm not concerned about wasting opportunities," he said.

"Being able to create opportunities against a team like Iran is something we should be proud of.

"It was not a problem with the forwards but we also have to look at the strong performance of the Iranian goalkeeper."

Qatar raises the curtain on the Asian Cup against Uzbekistan on Jan 7 and Metsu will hope that fortune shines more favorably on his charges than it has in recent months.

Kuwait coach eyes more trophies

Kuwait may be the bottom seed in Group A, but few teams will enter the Asian Cup with as much recent experience of lifting silverware as Goran Tufegdzic's rejuvenated outfit.

'Al Azraq' (The Blues), who begin their campaign against China on Jan 8, will be bidding to start the year in positive fashion after ending a long, 12-year wait for silverware in 2010.

In October it won the West Asian Football Federation Championship on its maiden appearance, defeating defending champion Iran 2-1 in the final in Jordan.

It took its momentum into the Gulf Cup of Nations in Yemen at the end of the year and emerged with its 10th trophy in the event's history - and first since 1998 - after Walid Ali Jumah's extra-time long-ranger earned a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final.

A key to the upturn in the country's fortunes has been inspirational Serbian coach Tufegdzic.

The 39-year-old was promoted from his role as assistant coach in February 2009 and within 20 months he had ended a trophy drought stretching back to Kuwait's previous Gulf Cup success under Czech coach Milan Macala in 1998.

Tufegdzic's renovation of the squad yielded rich dividends, with striker Bader Al-Mutawa finishing as top scorer, captain Nawaf Al-Khalidi crowned best goalkeeper and winger Fahad Al-Enezi voted player of the tournament.

"I feel this is a second phase of Kuwait's golden era in football," said Tufegdzic in December. "Our next target is the Asian Cup."

After tackling China, Kuwait meets Uzbekistan on Jan 12 before a potentially decisive game with host Qatar on Jan 16.

They will take heart from their most recent encounter with Qatar, which saw Kuwait prevail through a Yousef Nasser goal in the Gulf Cup group phase in November.

Uzbekistan pursues upward curve

Uzbekistan may not have made its Asian Cup debut until 1996, but it has improved with each participation and will be aiming for a last-four place at this 2011 tournament.

Eliminated in the group phase on its debut 15 years ago, the Central Asian heavyweight suffered the same fate four years later but has since reached the quarterfinals at successive tournaments.

Its showing at the 2007 event proved its emerging pedigree, as it ousted China in the group phase before falling to eventual finalist Saudi Arabia in the last eight.

Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov ran training camps in Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates in preparation for the Qatar competition and says his players have established an understanding.

"The language of football is one and, to understand each other, the players do not need to have that much time," he told the Asian Football Confederation's official website.

"Let's just say that those players who are joining the team for the camp (in the UAE) are considered to have more talent, but how they perform within the team depends entirely on them."

Uzbekistan won the Asian Games football tournament on its debut appearance in 1994 and its under-23 side reached the last eight at the most recent event in China in November.

Having squeezed into the knockout phase by finishing third in its group - behind the UAE and Hong Kong - it edged Qatar 1-0 in the last 16 before falling 3-1 to South Korea after extra time in the quarterfinals.

Abramov's side will cross swords with Qatar again when it tackles the host in the tournament's opening game at Doha's Khalifa International Stadium on Jan 7.

China and recently crowned Gulf Cup of Nations champion Kuwait complete the Group A line-up.

"We have recorded DVDs of their matches," said Abramov, who has been in the job since April.

"We have to say that all the teams in the group appear equal in terms of strength. For example, Kuwait's recent results speak for themselves.

"Football in these countries is developing rapidly. Qatar, as hosts, will be highly motivated like no other team. And everyone knows that China is a strong team."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 01/08/2011 page16)