Qatar National Team: The Maroons' Football Squad, Records and African Kick Off Times

The Qatar national team, nicknamed the Maroons or Al-Annabi in Arabic, is the men's football side run by the Qatar Football Association, which was founded in 1960 and joined FIFA in 1963. Its best years have come in Asia, with AFC Asian Cup titles in 2019 and in the 2023 edition played in early 2024, while the World Cup brought group stage exits as hosts in 2022 and as qualifiers in 2026. South African readers who search for the Qatar soccer team will find the same side here, and the guide below works for every fan from Lagos to Kampala.

Ghana born Mohammed Muntari's goal against Senegal in 2022 gives African readers a direct connection to Qatar's World Cup history. For match dates, scores and ranking updates, consult Qatar's live modules. The sections below trace their Asian titles, World Cup appearances and African connections, with squad selections and coaching appointments handled in the team listings.

Who Are Qatar, and Why Are They Called the Maroons?

Qatar are the national football team of a small Gulf state, and the nickname comes straight from the maroon shirt they wear. The Arabic version, Al-Annabi, carries the same meaning, and it is the name you will hear from home supporters at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, the ground listed as the side's home. The federation dates from 1960 and joined FIFA in 1963, which makes Qatar a relatively young football nation among the wider family of national teams. So, if you are meeting the side for the first time through the World Cup, it helps to know that most of their trophy story was written from 1992 onwards, when the first Gulf Cup arrived.

How should an African fan think of Qatar? Their Asian Cup victories in 2019 and the 2023 edition played in 2024 sit alongside a direct African connection at the 2022 World Cup: Ghana born Muntari scored against Senegal. Qatar compete in the Asian Football Confederation, so their targets in each cycle are the Asian Cup, the Gulf Cup and a place at the World Cup, and the live modules show where that work stands.

Qatar Fixtures: What Time Is Kick Off in Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Accra?

Qatar's fixture times pair Lagos with WAT, Nairobi and Kampala with EAT, Johannesburg with SAST, and Accra with GMT. The four clocks accompany each Qatar match entry, so readers across the five countries can identify their local kick off.

Away fixtures move around more, because Qatar play Asian qualifiers, Gulf competitions and friendlies, and as invited guests they have travelled as far as the Americas. That being said, most games in Asia fall in the African afternoon or early evening, which suits fans following on a phone between work and home. But, broadcasters and streams vary from country to country, so the practical habit is to check the module on the day and trust the listed time rather than a forwarded message in a group chat.

Who Is in the Qatar Squad, and Who Matters Most?

Akram Afif scored three penalties against Jordan in the final of the 2023 Asian Cup, played in 2024, helping Qatar retain the trophy with a 3-1 victory. Almoez Ali scored in the 3-1 final win against Japan in 2019. Those dated contributions explain their place in Qatar's tournament history; the records module supplies the changing individual totals.

Ghana born Mohammed Muntari added another milestone against Senegal in 2022, scoring Qatar's first World Cup goal. When checking a selection, start with the squad module's named players, then compare their listed positions and club affiliations. Read those entries as details of that selection, since a later call up can bring a different group.

Who Coaches Qatar, and How Do They Play?

Qatar's team listing identifies the coaching appointment associated with its latest update. For a historical reference on their play, the 2019 Asian Cup provides a clear defensive benchmark: Qatar conceded only once during the tournament and beat Japan 3-1 in the final. That campaign combined defensive protection with scoring in the decisive match. It offers a dated example of Qatar's tournament football, while later selections and coaching changes require their own assessment.

How Do You Read Qatar's Results and FIFA Ranking?

Read the results module by competition first, because a friendly, a Gulf Cup game and a World Cup match tell you very different things about Qatar. Asian Cup and Asian qualifying results show how Qatar measure up against their usual rivals, following their Asian Cup titles in 2019 and the 2023 edition played in 2024. World Cup results show how they fare against Europe, South America and Africa, and the FIFA ranking module turns all of it into a single figure that moves after every international window.

How good are Qatar, then? The record answers it fairly, because they became, in the 2023 edition played in 2024, the first side to defend the Asian Cup since Japan, yet they went out in the group at both the 2022 and 2026 World Cups. So, I would call them one of the strongest Asian tournament sides of their era, with the World Cup as the stage where their next step lies. Qatar's ranking entry supplies the changing comparison; their dated tournament finishes provide context for interpreting it.

What Have Qatar Won?

Qatar have won the AFC Asian Cup twice and the Gulf Cup three times. The first Asian title came in 2019, when they beat Japan 3-1 in the final and conceded only one goal in the whole tournament, a defensive record that still stands out. The second came in the 2023 edition, played in early 2024, when Akram Afif scored a penalty hat trick in a 3-1 final win over Jordan. The Gulf Cup titles came in 1992, 2004 and 2014, and for Gulf supporters they matter the way a CECAFA Cup matters in Nairobi and Kampala, with regional pride riding on every game.

Qatar have also played as invited guests on other continents, which is an unusual path for an Asian side. At the 2019 Copa América they drew 2-2 with Paraguay, then lost 1-0 to Colombia and 2-0 to Argentina, finishing bottom of Group B with one point. On their first invitation to the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021, they topped Group D and reached the last four, where the United States beat them 1-0. It could be argued that those trips taught Qatar more than any friendly, because they met different styles in full tournament conditions.

Who Holds the Qatar Records?

In 2026, Hassan Al-Haydos was listed as Qatar's appearance leader and Almoez Ali as their leading goalscorer. Consult the records module for updated totals and any subsequent change of leader. Qatar's dated milestones include Muntari's goal against Senegal in 2022, their first at a World Cup, and the single goal conceded throughout their victorious 2019 Asian Cup campaign. Afif scored a penalty hat trick against Jordan in the final of the 2023 edition played in 2024. For African readers, Muntari's Ghanaian birthplace and the Senegal opposition make the 2022 milestone a particularly direct connection.

What Happened to Qatar at the 2022 and 2026 World Cups?

Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup and lost all three group games, 2-0 to Ecuador, 3-1 to Senegal and 2-0 to the Netherlands, which made them the first host nation to lose every group match. The defining match, in my opinion, was the Senegal game, because Muntari's goal gave Qatar their first World Cup goal and showed the side could score at that level. What would change the outcome next time? A side that defends as tightly as the 2019 Asian champions did, against opponents who punish the smallest gap.

Qatar qualified for 2026 with a 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates on 14 October 2025, and the draw put them in Group B with Switzerland, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. After opening with a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on 13 June 2026, they finished fourth and went out in the group stage for the second World Cup running. As such, the move from hosts in 2022 to a repeat group exit in 2026 is really a story about the jump from Asian football to the World Cup, and the next qualifying campaign is where Qatar can show that jump getting shorter.

Why Do Qatar Matter to Fans in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda?

Qatar matter to African fans because players born on this continent have shaped their biggest moments. Ghana born Mohammed Muntari scored Qatar’s first World Cup goal against Senegal in 2022. Senegal's 3-1 win in 2022 also keeps Qatar on the radar for anyone following African teams at the World Cup, and South African readers drawn in by the tournament will find the full story in the sections above.

For readers in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, that 2022 meeting offers a way into Qatar's tournament history through African opposition. Muntari's goal and Senegal's victory belong to the same match, connecting a Ghana born Qatar international with an African team's World Cup campaign.

How Did Qatar Build a Side Strong Enough to Win Asia?

Qatar's strength in Asia comes from a joined up pathway that starts at Aspire Academy, the national sports academy in Doha, where several of the 2019 Asian Cup winners were developed. The Qatar Stars League then gives those players regular senior football close to home, while players of heritage or long residence widen a pool drawn from a small population. In my opinion, the real advantage is continuity, because the same group has moved together from youth football to the Asian Cup podium, a little like a Lagos five a side team that has kept the same pitch and the same players for years. So, if you want to follow Qatar closely, keep an eye on the Stars League as well as the international windows, because that is where the national team is really built.