Qatar under pressure in Asian Cup defence after abrupt Carlos Queiroz axing
Prior to that, the talk was about how Qatar would right the wrongs of a disappointing early exit from their home World Cup just over a year ago. Qatar's three straight defeats was the worst performance of any World Cup host in history.
Former Real Madrid and Portugal coach Queiroz took over following the departure of Felix Sanchez, but in early December the Portuguese was sacked and replaced by Tintin Marquez. Marquez is a familiar face to Qatari fans because he coached Al Wakrah in the domestic league and has a long relationship with football in the Gulf state.
"In football all the time there is pressure," the 62-year-old Spaniard told AFP soon after his sudden appointment. "More important for the players is enjoying the match," he said, downplaying the idea that his side was under pressure to make up for their World Cup flop. Qatar open the Asian Cup on Friday when they face Lebanon at the 88,000-capacity Lusail Stadium, which staged the World Cup final.
Queiroz, who coached Iran at the World Cup and was assistant to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, had a four-year contract with Qatar. He won five, lost five and drew two during his aborted tenure. Qatar's football association gave no reason for the decision to get rid of him and the move, and its timing, baffled many.
Former national team player Raed Yaqoub said Queiroz had started the "positive" work of refreshing Qatar's starting line-up to "give other names a chance". Interfering with that, said the player-turned-pundit, was "a big mistake". Yaqoub said that although Marquez is popular and well known in Qatar, "I think that holding him responsible only a month before the tournament is a mistake".
Mohamed Mubarak al-Mohannadi, another former national player, said the
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