November 19 – Qatar may still have critics of their right to host the 2022 World Cup but on the field the Gulf state has struck a significant blow by becoming the first side to book a spot at the 2019 Asian Cup and the next round of 2018 World Cup regional qualifiers.
With off the field politics dominating the Asian landscape, not least the 10-year ban meted out to Asian Football Confederation powerbroker Ganesh Thapa of Nepal, the focus switched back to the game itself on Tuesday and saw Qatar win 3-0 against Bhutan to secure top spot in Group C when Hong Kong and China played out a 0-0 draw, a blow to China’s hopes of making a second World Cup appearance.
That match was always going to be politically sensitive and home fans booed the Chinese national anthem at the Mong Kok Stadium, where there was a heavy police presence.
For their part, Qatar have now won all six matches though their Uruguayan coach Jose Daniel Carreno cautioned against over-optimism. “We are on the right track,” he said. “However, right now, we haven’t won anything. When it comes to playing in the World Cup, we are still a long way from it.”
East Timor, without seven nationalised Brazilians after complaints about their eligibility, were trounced 10-0 by Saudi Arabia, a result that will not be lost on Palestine who have protested to FIFA about the inclusion of the same ineligible players when they had to play East Timor last month.
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