Qatar Kick Off U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers with Brunei Clash

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September 2, 2025
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2-September-2025

Qatar Kick Off U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers with Brunei Clash

DOHA – Qatar’s Olympic team will launch its campaign in the 7th AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers on Wednesday when they face Brunei at Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha. The Group H fixtures feature Qatar, Brunei, Bahrain, and India, with six matches to be played in total.

The final tournament will be staged in Saudi Arabia for the first time, running from January 7 to 25, 2026. A record 44 teams are competing in the qualifiers, divided into 11 groups. The group winners along with the four best runners-up will advance to the finals.

Led by Portuguese coach Ilídio Vale, Qatar will be targeting a strong start against Brunei before taking on India on Saturday and Bahrain on September 9. Backed by a talented squad and experienced technical staff, team have a clear path toward direct qualification.

As part of their build-up, the team held an overseas training camp in Austria last August, fine-tuning preparations for this crucial campaign.

Qatar have featured in five previous editions of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup, playing 22 matches with a record of 11 wins, 7 draws, and 4 defeats. Their best achievements came in 2018, when they secured the bronze medal with a third-place finish, and in 2016, when they narrowly missed out on a medal by finishing fourth.