INTERVIEW: HASAN AL HAYDOS TIME TO SHINE AFTER A DISAPPOINTING 2015 AFC ASIAN CUP CAMPAIGN, QATAR CAPTAIN HASAN AL HAYDOS IS LOOKING TO DRIVE THE GULF CUP CHAMPIONS TO GREATER SUCCEESS IN THE JOINT QUALIFIERS FOR THE 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP AND 2019 AFC ASIAN CUP, A CAMPAIGN WHICH THE FORWARD INSISTS COULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT EVER FOR THE 2022 FIFA WORLD CUP HOSTS. By: Daniel Pordes Photos: Lagardère Sports AFC QUARTERLY 51 INTERVIEW: HASAN AL HAYDOS Hasan Al Haydos Nationality: Qatar DOB: 11/12/1980 Position: Forward Current club: Al Sadd (Qatar) he 2015 AFC Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup, but this confidence became the AFC Asian Cup, we still don’t know,” says Far Top Left AFC Top Left AFC Bottom Left AFC Above Against Hong Kong on time, the way they eat, the way they sleep in Australia was supposed our disadvantage and turned against us.” Al Haydos, who started all three games for Champions League 2015 Asian Cup 2015 Champions League 2011 in September 2015 everything.” to be the coming out party The opening half hour at Canberra Stadium Qatar in Australia. In his club football, meanwhile, Al Haydos for Qatar captain Hasan Al had went according to plan with former AFC “We had the confidence of being the Gulf will be looking to help Al Sadd improve on Haydos and his team-mates Player of the Year and Al Haydos’ Al Sadd champions, Djamel Belmadi worked very hard September’s round of fixtures. finding and developing the best young their runners-up finish in the Qatar Stars in the national team, instead, team-mate Khalfan Ibrahim on target after with us ahead of the tournament, and we “It’s the chance for us, as young players, male Qatari athletes, while also providing League last season, as well progressing in it turned into a nightmare. 22 minutes to put Qatar ahead with a leaping thought we could go very far. to show that we have the capability and secondary school education, and combines the 2016 AFC Champions League. In the lead up to the volley. “Against the UAE we made one individual skills and show how Qatar is improving in talent centres, feeder groups, student-athlete This year Al Sadd, who signed former continental showpiece in January, Qatar went But a defensive mix-up in the Qatar mistake after another. In the Iran game our development as a footballing nation. We scholarships and opportunities to play Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi on a run of 12 games with just one defeat backline allowed Emirati striker Ahmed Khalil we actually had our best performance, but also have older players who maybe won’t be overseas. Hernandez in the summer, were eliminated Tafter Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi took to level the scores eight minutes before half- because of an individual mistake we lost with the team in the future, so this is also a The likes of attacking full-back Abdelkarim in the last 16 of the continental tournament over in March 2014; a streak that culminated time, and the UAE would net three times more again. It was the same against Bahrain, which competition for them to do their best in. Hassan and 18-year-old Akram Afif, by local rivals and Qatari league champions in the Gulf Cup title last November and in the second period to cruise home with a was really disappointing as we wanted to win “I have the confidence in my team-mates who starred in Qatar’s 2014 AFC U-19 Lekhwiya. included the scalps of Australia, Saudi 4-1 win. at least one game in the competition.” that we can achieve great things. We have Championship-winning team, are Aspire “We want to win everything and Xavi Arabia, Uzbekistan and DPR Korea. And four days later, a sumptuous Sardar Al Haydos does at least have one positive shown before we can beat any team in Asia, for graduates staking claims to places in the does, too. He is starving for trophies. He One of the form sides ahead of their first Azmoun strike in the second half in Sydney memory from the tournament as after the example we beat Australia in Doha last year. senior side with the new generation set to play keeps telling us we have to win everything match in Canberra against the United Arab was enough for Iran as Qatar suffered back- Iran game, opposition coach Carlos Queiroz So my team-mates can show and do better in a key role in the national side in the future. this season and keeps motivating us and in Emirates, confidence was high amongst the to-back defeats for the first time since March requested the player’s shirt as a keepsake and the upcoming qualifying games. “It’s really important to have players like response I’m sure all the players will give Qatari camp with many in the media having 2013. lauded his play and effort on the field. “We know it’s really important for us to show Abdelkarim and Afif from Aspire because the everything this year,” says Al Haydos, who them pegged as dark horses for the title. With the UAE also defeating Bahrain 2-1 in Qatar, though, were not allowed too much that we have a good team and that we can way they think and the way they trained at was named Qatar Footballer of the Year last “We were working very well under Djamel Canberra, the result meant that Belmadi’s side time to lick their wounds with the joint qualifiers qualify for the World Cup. The next World Cup Aspire give us advantages to have great and season. Belmadi and he found the rhythm for us as a were eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup with for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC after 2018 will be in our home, so we have skilful players in the team,” says Al Haydos, “We’ll be aiming to get to next year’s AFC team. We had played excellently under him a game to spare. Asian Cup beginning just five months later to show that we are able to qualify. I believe who himself came up through the more Champions League final again too, and why in 2014 and ended the year by deservedly Even a consolation point was beyond Qatar under recently appointed coach Jose Carreno. this is one of the most important qualifying conventional academy system at Al Sadd. not the trophy? That is always our main aim winning the Gulf Cup,” says 24-year-old as Sayed Ahmed’s goal eight minutes from “We want to change the image we showed campaigns Qatar has ever faced.” “There is a big difference in these players in the AFC Champions League. Haydos, who plies his trade for Doha-based time gave Bahrain a 2-1 win and third place in the spectators at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in And with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar from the previous generation as a lot of this “As a player, the 2011 AFC Champions Al Sadd, who he helped win the 2011 AFC the group, despite Al Haydos earlier netting to Australia and now it’s our chance,” says Al looming ever nearer on the horizon, the Aspire is to do with the academic side they’ve been League title was the most important trophy I Champions League title. cancel out Sayed Dhiya’s first half opener. Haydos, with Qatar having began the second Academy, set up in Doha in 2004, is also through, that is really important. This affects have ever won, but if I can get to the World “To be the Gulf Cup champions gave us “To be honest, if you ask any of the team round of qualifiers with wins over the Maldives, starting to bear fruit for the national team. the way they see the game and their discipline Cup in Russia, it might become the second great confidence in ourselves ahead of the what was the reason for our performance in Bhutan and Hong Kong to top Group C after The academy is tasked with the goal of in terms of mentality: from the way they are best thing.” AFC QUARTERLY 53.