Coach Lopetegui hails Qatar’s resolve after Switzerland draw, shifts …

Doha, Qatar: Head coach Julen Lopetegui praised Qatar’s mentality and discipline after Al Annabi secured their first-ever FIFA World Cup point with a dramatic 1-1 draw against Switzerland, insisting his side must now quickly turn their attention to another challenge against co-hosts Canada.

Breel Embolo’s first-half penalty looked set to condemn Qatar to defeat as Switzerland dominated and made 26 attempts across the two halves. But Al Annabi refused to buckle, and four minutes into stoppage time Miro Muheim bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from Boualem Khoukhi to hand Qatar a historic first World Cup point.

For Lopetegui, the result represented another landmark moment in Qatar’s football journey. milkshakeslot.com

“It was already historic just being here. To get a point against Switzerland, who for me are one of the best teams in Europe right now, really solid, with continuity with their coach and top players from top leagues, is important,” the Spanish coach said.

“For that to happen, you need a set of circumstances like those in the match. We were able to survive difficult moments, we didn’t lose composure when behind, which was important, and at the end we got the reward with that goal which gave us that point which had never existed.”

Switzerland dominated for long periods while Qatar relied heavily on goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who produced a string of outstanding saves to keep his team in contention.

Lopetegui revealed his side had anticipated a difficult evening against opponents renowned for their defensive organisation.

“We had to be prepared. We analysed the Swiss team, as they only conceded two goals in their European qualifying campaign, and we knew they had high quality,” he said.

Lopetegui was particularly proud of the character shown by his players regardless of the outcome.

“I am very proud of the team,” he said.

“I told them that even if we hadn’t scored the goal and didn’t draw, I would have been proud of the mentality and discipline that they showed today. But fortunately we scored and that was history.”

Attention has now shifted to Canada’s visit in Vancouver where Qatar will chase a first-ever World Cup victory. The match will take place on June 19 (1am, Qatar time).

“The next match will be the most difficult because it is against Canada, one of the host countries, and they will be playing in front of their fans,” Lopetegui said.

“We must be well prepared after recovery, especially since the players have exerted a great deal of effort.”

Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada celebrates after the match.

Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening match.

Abunada, named Man of the Match after his heroic display, shared his coach’s optimism heading into Qatar’s second Group B fixture.

“The team performed admirably during the second half and the players showed a high fighting spirit,” Abunada said.

“We have confidence in our ability to deliver the best performances during the World Cup matches.”

The goalkeeper said that Qatar is getting more experience playing at the global level, which will help them in the future.

“We are capable of delivering what satisfies expectations in this second participation in the World Cup, especially since many of the players have the experience and ability to play against big teams with high quality.”

Abunada also praised the travelling supporters.

“The fans played a major role in motivating the players and pushing them to achieve a positive result,” he said.

Meanwhile, Switzerland coach Murat Yakin insisted his side had only themselves to blame after surrendering victory in stoppage time.

“We have nothing to reproach ourselves for in terms of the way we played,” he said.

“We got into good positions and created good chances, but we weren’t clinical enough. I think we need to work on our precision and our belief.”

Captain Granit Xhaka echoed his coach’s frustration, admitting the Swiss lost patience while chasing a second goal.

“If you don’t take your chances, they’ll come back to bite you,” Xhaka said. “At 1-0, we have to be experienced enough to see out the game.”

يبدأ منتخبنا الوطني اليوم أولى حصصه التدريبية في مدينة فانكوفر الكندية، بعد وصوله إليها قادماً من الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية عقب انتهاء مباراته الأولى في بطولة كأس العالم 2026 أمام المنتخب السويسري، والتي انتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله. ووصلت بعثة العنابي إلى كندا بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد حصد أول نقطة في البطولة، استعداداً لخوض مواجهة الجولة الثانية ضمن منافسات المجموعة الثانية التي تضم منتخبات قطر وسويسرا وكندا والبوسنة والهرسك. ويلتقي العنابي مع نظيره الكندي «الخميس» على استاد «بي سي بليس» في فانكوفر، بعدما خاض أمس آخر حصة تدريبية له في مدينة سانتا باربارا، مقر إقامة المنتخب منذ وصوله إلى الولايات المتحدة. وكانت بعثة منتخبنا قد غادرت مدينة سانتا كلارا مباشرة بعد مواجهة سويسرا، التي نجح خلالها الفريق في الخروج بنقطة ثمينة عززت من ثقته قبل الاستحقاق المقبل. ومن المنتظر أن يواصل بطل آسيا تحضيراته بقوة وبمعنويات عالية في فانكوفر حتى موعد المباراة، التي يطمح خلالها منتخبنا إلى تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية تقربه أكثر من التأهل إلى الدور الثاني.
وشهد مران الاستئناف أمس اجتماعاً للمدرب الإسباني جولين لوبيتيغي مع اللاعبين قبل انطلاق الحصة التدريبية، حيث وجه لهم الشكر على الجهود الكبيرة التي بذلوها في مواجهة سويسرا وتحقيق أول نقطة في منافسات كأس العالم. كما طالبهم بضرورة طي صفحة المباراة الأولى والتركيز الكامل على مواجهة كندا، التي وصفها بالمواجهة المهمة والمصيرية في مشوار التأهل إلى الدور الثاني.
وأكد لوبيتيغي للاعبين ضرورة مضاعفة الجهود وتقديم مستوى أفضل لتجاوز عقبة المنتخب الكندي، الذي سيحظى بدعم جماهيري كبير وسيخوض المباراة على أرضه وبين جماهيره. وقد تلقى اللاعبون هذه التوجيهات بروح إيجابية، مؤكدين عزمهم على مواصلة الدفاع عن حظوظ المنتخب في البطولة حتى اللحظة الأخيرة. وخاض اللاعبون الحصة التدريبية بمعنويات مرتفعة، بعدما ساهم التعادل أمام سويسرا في تخفيف الضغوط التي صاحبت الفريق قبل انطلاق البطولة، ومنحهم ثقة أكبر لمواصلة المشوار المونديالي. ويدخل العنابي مواجهته الثانية بطموحات كبيرة لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية جديدة تعزز آماله في بلوغ الدور الثاني، رغم إدراكه لصعوبة المهمة أمام منتخب طموح يسعى إلى تعزيز حظوظه.



دعم الجماهير مستمر

ومن المتوقع أن يكون الحضور الجماهيري أكبر في مواجهة كندا، في ظل وجود جالية عربية كبيرة في مدينة فانكوفر، حيث تتواصل المطالبات بالحصول على التذاكر لمؤازرة العنابي في هذه المحطة المونديالية المهمة، ودعمه في سعيه لمواصلة النتائج الإيجابية وتحقيق حلم التأهل إلى الدور الثاني.

مذاكرة الكندي ودراسة لقائه مع البوسنة

سيعمل الجهاز الفني بقيادة لوبيتيغي خلال الأيام المقبلة على دراسة المنتخب الكندي بصورة دقيقة، من خلال تحليل نقاط القوة والضعف ووضع الخطة المناسبة للمباراة. كما يعول منتخبنا على الدعم الجماهيري المنتظر من الجماهير القطرية والجاليات العربية المقيمة في كندا، بعد المساندة المميزة التي حظي بها الفريق في مباراته الأولى أمام سويسرا.

أول نقطة مونديالية لـ كندا

المنتخب الكندي حصل على أول نقطة له في تاريخ مشاركاته المونديالية بعد أن تعادل مع البوسة في الجولة الأولى، وحمل هذا التعادل صبغة تاريخية استثنائية لأصحاب الأرض؛ إذ تمثل هذه النتيجة أول نقطة يحصدها المنتخب الكندي في تاريخ مشاركاته ببطولات كأس العالم، بعدما خرج خالي الوفاض في نسختي 1986 و2022.

جاراي حكماً للقاء

وقع اختيار الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم (فيفا) على الحكم التشيلي كريستيان جاراي لإدارة المباراة المرتقبة التي تجمع المنتخب القطري ونظيره الكندي ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية للمجموعة الثانية في كأس العالم 2026 على ملعب “بي سي بليس” بمدينة فانكوفر الكندية، ويعاون جاراي في إدارة اللقاء مواطناه خوسيه ريتامال وميغيل روشا كمساعدين، فيما يتولى البيروفي كيفين أورتيغا مهام الحكم الرابع، ويشغل مواطنه مايكل أوروي مهمة المساعد الاحتياطي.

لقب أرجنتيني مرتين

الطريف أن منتخب كندا الذي شارك في كأس العالم مرتين فقط سابقًا، وفي كلتا المشاركتين «1986 و2022 « تُوِّجت الأرجنتين باللقب وهذه المشاركة هي الثالثة لكندا في تاريخ المونديال.

Doha, Qatar: Doha’s reputation for producing high quality javelin competitions looks set to continue as world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka – who threw a national record of 92.62m to win the Diamond League meeting in Rome on June 4 – will line up at the Qatar Sports Club on Friday.

He will join an elite field, which includes Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Trinidad’s Keshorn Walcott, the reigning Olympic and world champions respectively. Indian star Neeraj Chopra will not compete this year in Doha, where he breached the 90m mark last year.

In a field bursting with talent, the trio are joined at the Doha Meeting by a host of stars including former two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, and world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson of USA.

Pathirage – the first Sri Lankan male javelin thrower to reach a World Athletics Championships final, finishing seventh in 2025 – is an exciting young talent and will compete in Doha for the first time.

His 92.62m at the Diamond League meeting in Rome added more than two metres to Andreas Thorkildsen’s 20-year-old meeting record and moved him to eighth on the world all-time list.

It was the best throw in the world since the 2024 Olympic final in Paris and he is now the second-best Asian thrower in history behind Nadeem who threw 92.97m on that occasion to win gold.

Arlington, United States: Japan scored an 88th-minute equaliser as they twice fought back to rescue a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in front of 69,285 in Texas on Sunday to open their World Cup campaigns.

A match that had bubbled away in the first period sparked into life in the second half.

Netherlands skipper Virgil van Dijk scored with a fine header, only for Keito Nakamura to quickly level, before winger Crysencio Summerville's delicious curled finish into the bottom corner just after the hour.

The Dutch looked like they would hold on, but Japan levelled at the death with Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada credited with the goal after a deflection.

Sweden face Tunisia in a competitive-looking Group F later Sunday.

Japan and the Netherlands are in North America missing key players through injury, but on paper this was still one of the more attractive fixtures in the group stage.

Both have been touted as dark horses capable of going far at the tournament -- the Dutch have been runners-up three times whereas Japan have never gone beyond the last 16.

The Netherlands made a confident start and nearly took the lead after three minutes, Donyell Malen allowed to swivel inside the box and forcing a smart save from Zion Suzuki.

The impressive air-conditioned arena is usually home to the Dallas Cowboys, and at the hydration break the NFL team's cheerleaders were shown on the massive screen hanging over the pitch performing one of their routines.

The stoppage seemed to help Ronald Koeman's side and Roma forward Malen again worked Suzuki with a header from a corner, then Cody Gakpo fired wildly over the bar.

Japan's fans, who had hardly stopped singing and outnumbered the Dutch contingent, were briefly silenced.

The first real chance for Hajime Moriyasu's team came a few minutes before the break when a cross evaded the backtracking Summerville but Nakamura pulled his low effort wide.

The Dutch had looked most threatening in the air, so it was no surprise when Liverpool talisman Van Dijk rose to plant a well-placed header into the bottom corner after a pinpoint cross from club team-mate Ryan Gravenberch on 51 minutes.

The lead lasted just six minutes, Nakamura wriggling free and firing low past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, the ball taking a small deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.

In a madcap period of play, the Dutch forged ahead once more on 64 minutes when West Ham's Summerville beat his man on the right wing and curled into Suzuki's bottom-right corner with his left foot.

Both teams rang the changes and had chances to score again, before Kamada's chaotic leveller from a corner.

Monterrey, Mexico: Sweden crushed Tunisia 5-1 on Sunday to leave the North African nation's defensive reputation in tatters and seize control of World Cup Group F.

Graham Potter's men took the lead in Guadalupe in the seventh minute courtesy of Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari's thunderbolt from outside the box, following a mix-up at the back.

The celebrations of Ayari, who is of Moroccan and Tunisian descent, were muted despite his fine finish.

Sweden doubled their lead on half an hour after a rapid break freed Alexander Isak on the left.

The Liverpool forward raced forward and cut inside before unleashing a shot, which goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh failed to keep out, even though he got a hand to the ball.

Tunisia did not concede a single goal in qualifying, becoming the first side to achieve that feat, subsequently matched by Ivory Coast and England.

Sweden threatened to overwhelm their opponents but the match changed complexion minutes before half-time when Omar Rekik headed home Hannibal Mejbri's teasing cross.

However, the Scandinavian nation restored their two-goal cushion in the 59th minute after another defensive calamity for Tunisia.

Midfielder Ellyes Skhiri was caught in possession on the edge of the box by Isak, who fed Viktor Gyokeres and the Arsenal man fired home.

Substitute Mattias Svanberg made it 4-1 late on after VAR ruled he was onside.

And there was still time for another stunning goal from Ayari from outside the penalty box.

Sweden reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not qualify for the tournament in Qatar four years later.

Tunisia were the first African team to win a World Cup match when they beat Mexico in 1978, but they have never progressed beyond the group stages.

Earlier in Group F, Japan scored late to draw 2-2 against the Netherlands.