Qatar national under-17 football team

History

Despite being a country with a small base of footballers; Qatar has had a respectable degree of achievements at the youth level. In addition to becoming champions of Asia in 1990 after winning the 1990 AFC U-16 Championship held in the UAE, they also finished runners up five times (1985, 1986, 1992, 1994, and 1998). In addition, Qatar have also been the hosts of four of the U-16 championships; a record.

The youth players became consistent finalists in the Asian U-16 championships since they first reached the final in 1986 when they lost to South Korea in a dramatic penalty shoot-out on home soil, which was tightly clinched 5–4. This was followed by another appearance in 1988 before winning it 1990 after defeating China by a scoreline of 2–0.

One year later, they managed an Asian record high fourth-place finish in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, even with a relatively slow start as they failed to gain more than a single point in the first two group B matches, however, a Jassim Al Tammimi goal against Australia was enough for a quarterfinal place.

Qatar advanced to the semis on the expense of the United States, whom they defeated 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out after the score had settled 1–1 at the end of regulation time. Shortly after, they themselves went down in a penalty shootout to eventual champions, Ghana, in the semi-finals, before suffering the same fate against Argentina in the third-place match respectively.

Qatar's tradition of youth teams' excellence was to be prolonged for another decade; they reached the World Cup three more times on 1993, 1995 and 2005.

In the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Qatar were drawn 2–2 with the mighty Netherlands before half-time in their first group match. Although Qatar went on to lose the match 5–3, many future talents were discovered during the tournament, including Khalfan Ibrahim who went on to win the Asian Player of the Year award one year later.

They hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup twenty years after their last appearance which took place in 2025 but went out in the group stage.

[[AFC U-17 Asian Cup]]

FIFA U-17 World Cup record

Head-to-head record

The following table shows Qatar's head-to-head record in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and AFC U-17 Asian Cup.

In [[FIFA U-17 World Cup]]

In [[AFC U-17 Asian Cup]]

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup between 15 June and 2 July 2023.

Current coaching staff

Last update: February 2014.

Managerial history

• BRA Ronald de Carvalho (1979–85)
• QAT Saeed Al-Misnad (1985)
• BRA Cabralzinho (1985)
• BRA José Roberto Avila (ca. 1991)
• BRA Humberto Filho (1993)
• NED Wiel Coerver (ca. 1993)
• SWE Bo Augustsson (ca. 1990s)
• NED René Meulensteen (ca. 1990s)
• SCO Dave Mackay (1995)
• QAT Eid Mubarak (1995–96)
• QAT Ahmed Omar (1996)
• DEN Ove Pedersen (1996–97)
• BRA José Paulo (1998–99)
• QAT Saeed Al-Misnad (1999)
• BRA José Paulo (1999–c. 00)
• NED Chris Dekker (2000–01)
• NED Ruud Dokter (2001–02)
• FRA Patrick Revelli (2002–04)
• BEL Tom Saintfiet (2004)
• NED Tini Ruijs (2004–05)
• QAT Fahad Thani (2005–06)
• NED Tini Ruijs (2010–12)
• ESP Félix Sánchez Bas (2012–13)
• ESP Óscar Fernández (2012–15)
• NED Arno Buitenweg (2013–17)
• QAT Ibrahim Shafie (2021–24)
• ALG Ahmed Reda Madouni (2024–25)
• ESP Álvaro Mejía (2025–)

References

References

1. (13 June 2023). "الموافقة على القائمة النهائية للناشئين المشاركين في بطولة آسيا تحت 17 سنة في تايلاند". الاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم.
2. "عنابى الناشئين يشارك فى بطولة هونج كونج الودية". [[Qatar Football Association]].
3. (16 April 1985). "اختيار 30 لاعبًا لخوض النهائيات". Al Raya.