November 11 – Qatar and Bangladesh will play the only fixture of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 in over a year, in December.
Played outside the international window, both nations have agreed to bring forward their second group game – a match day 8 fixture re-scheduled for March 2021 – forward to December 4.
Qatar are currently training in Europe with friendlies scheduled against Costa Rica and South Korea during the current international window. The early December fixture against Bangladesh is not expected to trouble them unduly, having won the first fixture in Bangladesh 2-0.
Qatar have already qualified as hosts for the 2022 World Cup, but with the group qualifying stage also acting as a qualifier for the 2023 Asian Cup in China, the Qataris still have some work to do to get to the final tournament and defend their Asian title won in January 2019.
Qatar currently top their five-team group with13 points from five matches, a point ahead of Oman.
The December 4 fixture will create more calendar space for the Qataris in what will be a very buys 2021 schedule. Qatar will play in the Copa America in South America before participating as a guest in Concacaf’s Gold Cup in the US.
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