QATAR AND LEBANON TO KICK OFF ASIAN CUP – With two new coaches at the helm
The 2023 Asian Cup kicks off with defending champions and hosts Qatar taking on Lebanon in Group A on Friday but preparations have been far from ideal for both teams after they appointed new coaches barely a month before the continental tournament.
Qatar appointed ‘Tintin’ Marquez Lopez last month after Carlos Queiroz parted company while Lebanon hired former Montenegro coach Miodrag Radulovic to replace Croatian Nikola Jurcevic.
However, both coaches are not strangers to the two squads. Lopez coached Qatari side Al-Wakrah for five years while this is Radulovic’s second stint with Lebanon.
While critics say Qatar’s style has gone stale since former coach Felix Sanchez left the role, Lopez said he would make sure the hosts play on the front foot as they look to retain the title with an entertaining and attacking style of football.
Radulovic oversaw Lebanon’s 2019 Asian Cup campaign where they were knocked out in the group stage and the Montenegrin said the focus was not to repeat the same mistakes.
