INTERVIEW: Djamel Belmadi GREAT EXPECTATIONS QATAR ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA AS THE NEWLY CROWNED GULF CUP CHAMPIONS HOPING TO BUILD ON THEIR RUN TO THE QUARTER- FINALS AT THE AFC ASIAN CUP IN 2011. AND HELMED BY COACH DJAMEL BELMADI WHO HAS ENJOYED STELLAR SUCCESS IN FOUR YEARS IN QATARI FOOTBALL, OPTIMISM IS HIGH AHEAD OF THE CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN JANUARY. By: Daniel Pordes • Photos: World Sport Group AFC QUARTERLY 59 INTERVIEW: Djamel Belmadi ver since former Marseille Australia who are the hosts, Japan and Korea goal conceded. Far Left Belmadi was Left Belmadi previously led Top Belmadi guided Qatar qualification campaign in 1996 before Qatar appointed Qatar coach in Qatar’s Lekhwiya to back-to- to victory in the 2014 Gulf midfielder Djamel Belmadi Republic, that they have the expectation to win Belmadi’s success with the reserve side March 2014. back Qatar Stars League titles. Cup. finally advanced to the knockout stage for the landed in Qatar to take up his the title. resulted in his appointment to the helm of the first time in 2000 in Lebanon where they were first managerial role in 2010 “Australia are playing at home in front of their senior team, taking over from interim coach eliminated in the quarter-finals by China. at just 34 years of age, the fans, Japan are defending champions and want Thani in March following disappointment in the draws against Indonesia and Morocco before a with home side Saudi Arabia in the final Group stage exits followed in 2004 and Algerian coach has proved to win once more, and also there is Korea who 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. home defeat to Peru. showpiece, and despite again going a goal 2007, before on home soil in 2011, Qatar rose to have a touch as golden took part in the last World Cup along with Iran. Although Qatar’s passage to the AFC Asian But a month before the Gulf Cup was due to down after Saud Kariri’s 16th opener, a quick to the challenge and returned to the quarter- as that which he possessed “But, even so, for me there are no favourites. Cup Australia 2015 had been relatively smooth begin, Qatar enjoyed a run of four impressive response two minutes later from Almahdi Ali finals. as a player roaming the field of the Stade In this competition, I can’t say that there is one under Thani, as they qualified for the finals victories, three of them against fellow AFC restored parity before Khoukhi netted the And even though a fairytale semi-final Velodrome. team who has the best chance to win the title. with some comfort as runners-up from Group Asian Cup sides. winner just before the hour mark. appearance failed to materialise, their 3-2 EConsecutive titles in 2011 and 2012 with “All I know is that, I have an ambition: to win D, Belmadi’s Midas touch and familiarity with A convincing 3-0 defeat of 2011 semi-finalists “The Gulf Cup was important for us defeat by eventual champions Japan in the last newly promoted Qatar Stars League side the title with my team. We have big ambitions the local football scene proved hard to resist Uzbekistan in Doha was followed by a 5-0 because we will play in the Asian Cup against eight will live long in the memory. Lekhwiya, the first and second top flight and we have a target to win the Asian Cup. for the Qatar Football Association. drubbing of Lebanon before a stunning 1-0 win two teams who were at the Gulf Cup. So we “I hope that we can at least repeat the championships in the club’s history, were much The team will prepare well and if we have a “It is important to know the players of against AFC Asian Cup hosts Australia, which know them, but the thing is that they know achievement of reaching the quarter-final that acclaimed in the Arab country and duly led to good tournament, we can reach the target of the league because all of the national team was the Socceroos’ first ever loss to the Middle us too. It will be tough,” says Belmadi, whose we had in 2011. But the difference from four Belmadi’s involvement with the Qatar national winning the title.” players come from the Qatari league and no East nation coming courtesy of a second half Qatar side will face the United Arab Emirates years ago is that we have a lot of new players,” team where he has enjoyed similar success Having revolutionised Lekhwiya into a one is playing abroad,” says Belmadi, who goal from AFC Player of the Year nominee and Iran and Bahrain in Group C in Australia. says Belmadi. adding the 2013/14 WAFF Championship and title-winning domestic force, Belmadi was also played in Qatar’s domestic league for two Khalfan Ibrahim. “All three teams have good qualities in our “For those players who remain from 2011, it 2014 Gulf Cup to his resume in just over a appointed coach of the Qatar B team in seasons with Al Gharafa and Al Kharaitiyat SC. The visit of DPR Korea to Doha a group: Iran qualified to the last World Cup, is a good experience that they can share with year within the national set-up. December 2013 and duly went about reforming “Therefore, I think we saved a lot of time week before the home side’s short trip to the Emirates won the 2013 Gulf Cup and we the other players. And it is a good challenge Qualification for AFC Asian Cup Australia the Qatari development side, bringing in through me already knowing the players and neighbouring Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cup drew with Bahrain in the 2014 Gulf Cup. for the new players when they know that in the 2015 was achieved under predecessor talented youngsters that included forward we didn’t need to test a lot of players and brought another confidence-boosting win “While it will be important to start the last tournament we reached the quarter-finals Fahad Thani, but Belmadi oversaw a run of Boualem Khoukhi and midfielder Karim thereby waste time, and I think this was a real as Abdulqadir Ilyas, Khouki and Abdelkarim tournament well to give confidence to the and they will have the desire to do the same 12 matches with just one defeat after taking Boudiaf. advantage for Qatar and me when it came to Hassan were all on target during a 3-1 victory. players, it is sure to be a tough group. at least. charge of the senior side in March which And at the WAFF Championship, just weeks taking the senior team job.” And although Qatar only scraped through the “We know that every game will be difficult. “It could put pressure on us, but I will take it culminated in November’s Gulf Cup success. after Belmadi had taken charge, Qatar proved With a good performance in November’s group stage of the Gulf Cup after sharing draws Every team will be difficult for us, but we hope in a different way: it is more of a target for us; “Our expectations are high and we want a revelation as they were crowned champions, Gulf Cup a fundamental part of Belmadi’s job with the hosts, Yemen and Bahrain, the side hit we will be also difficult for them.” a good pressure. to do our best in Australia and make a good going undefeated with 10 goals scored – description, the Algerian began his tenure in form when it mattered. The Gulf side’s history at the AFC Asian “I’m not afraid of giving some targets. We performance,” says Belmadi. Koukhi netting six of them to be named the moderate form in the months leading up to the A come-from-behind victory over Oman Cup first began in 1980, but five consecutive want to do at least the same and why not “Nobody can say, except for teams like tournament’s Top Scorer – and just a single regional championship in Saudi Arabia with in the semi-final set the stage for a re-match group stage exits followed as well as a failed more?” AFC QUARTERLY 61.