HOUSTON, Texas. – Qatar will make its Concacaf Gold Cup debut when it faces off against 10-time participants Panama in the opening match of Group D on Tuesday night at BBVA Stadium in Houston, TX.
The two nations will match wits for the first time ever as they look to get started on the right foot in a group that also includes Honduras and Grenada.
Qatar enters the tournament as the champions of its region after winning its first continental title by way of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Manager Felix Sanchez has brought several holdovers from that team to the Gold Cup, including a pair of 24-year-old forwards in Almoez Ali and Akram Afif.
Ali scored an Asian Cup record nine goals and was named player of the tournament while Afif broke a record of his own with a new tournament high with 10 assists. Along with team captain Hassan Al-Haydos, The Crimsons have three of the national team’s all-time top ten scorers in the fold for the Concacaf tournament.
Yet, Panama won't be an easy matchup for the tournament invitees. It is a two-time finalist and the Central Americans are in an exciting time, with a young wave of players entering the national team under coach Thomas Christiansen.
Coming off their first FIFA World Cup participation at Russia 2018, Panama utilized the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League to give opportunities to younger players like 22-year-old Adalberto Carrasquilla. The Panama City native scored his first international goal in a 4-1 win over Bermuda in League A in September 2019.
Panama might be in a youth movement, but Christiansen has also called up some key veterans in Adolfo Machado, Gabriel Torres, and captain Harold Cummings - all part of Panama’s previous lengthy runs in the knockout stage in previous Gold Cups.
Every point will be critical from the start in what should be a competitive Group D. Neither Qatar nor Panama will want to start with a loss.
