Qatar coach praises retired Al Haydos

Doha, Qatar: Qatar head coach Marquez Lopez yesterday heaped massive praise on former Qatar captain Hassan Al Haydos, who announced his retirement fro...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar head coach Marquez Lopez yesterday heaped massive praise on former Qatar captain Hassan Al Haydos, who announced his retirement from international football earlier this week.

“We are grateful for everything Hassan Al Haydos did for Qatar football. He was a very important player on and off the field, and a role model for youngsters. We wish him success in what comes next in his career,” Lopez said at a press conference on the eve of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 joint qualifiers match against Kuwait.

Qatar midfielder Jassim Jaber said Al Haydos played a crucial role in development of his young teammates.

“I want to thank captain Hassan Al Haydos, who played a big role with us as players on and off the field. We as players learned a lot from him, and I wish him success in his career after he announced his international retirement,” he said.

Al Haydos retired as the most capped Qatari footballer having represented Al Annabi in 183 international matches in a career spanning 16 years during which he scored as many as 41 goals. He made his international debut with the Qatar Olympic team in 2008 and appeared in four Asian Cup editions, with back-to-back triumphs in 2019 and 2024 being the highlight of his career. He also clinched the 2014 Gulf Cup title with the national team.