Former Qatari football star Khaled Salman, the coach of the national team, held Lopetegui responsible for the goalless draw that Al-Anabi suffered against its Omani counterpart, in the match that was held at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in the qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup finals.
Khaled Salman confirmed in his statements on the Council’s program that the team did not appear in the way expected by its fans, indicating that the coach’s choices and changes during the match were not successful and did not make the required difference on the field. He said: “I think that the changes made by Lopetegui were not useful, and did not add any real offensive solutions. The team needed more boldness in the final third of the field, especially since the match was within our reach.”
Salman added: A point is better than nothing, and the important thing is that we did not lose in this sensitive stage of the qualifiers. The result keeps all possibilities open, especially since there is a strong match coming up that will bring together Qatar and the Emirates, and the ball is still in the court.”
The former Annabi star stressed that the team has the potential and elements capable of achieving the best, but it needs more bold technical management and a realistic approach to the course of the matches, pointing out that the fans are waiting for the players to have a strong reaction in the next match.
Khaled Salman concluded his statement by saying, “We have a good team and players capable of making the fans happy. We just need a clearer tactical vision and greater courage in making decisions on the field, because the next stage does not tolerate any regression.”
