The Qatar national football team, nicknamed "The Maroons," represents Qatar in international football. They are controlled by the Qatar Football Association and affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) under FIFA's jurisdiction. Their home games are played at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium.
The Kenya national football team, known as the Harambee Stars, represents Kenya in association football. It is controlled by the Football Kenya Federation and competes as a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA).
Let's delve into the history of both teams and their encounters.
Football today matches Qatar Vs Kenya in al janoub stadium 🏟️#arabtv #expo2023 #qatarfifa
Qatar National Team: A Brief Overview
Football was introduced to Qatar around 1940, coinciding with the discovery of oil reserves in Dukhan. By 1948, expatriate oil workers from India and other Arabian nations formed the first documented teams. Qatar debuted in the Asian Cup in 1980 under coach Evaristo de Macedo. In the 1990s, Qatar achieved a FIFA rating of 53.
Qatar has won the Arabian Gulf Cup in 1992, 2004, and 2014. They hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, marking their first appearance in the event. However, they became the first team eliminated and the worst-performing host nation in FIFA World Cup history, losing every game.
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Despite this setback, Qatar redeemed themselves at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which they also hosted. They defeated Lebanon 3-0 to start their campaign and advanced to the round of 16 as group winners. On 14 October 2025, Qatar secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating the United Arab Emirates 2-1.
The Qatar national football team.
Rivalries
Qatar has major rivalries with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia due to historical tensions and the 2017-2021 Qatar diplomatic crisis. The rivalry with the United Arab Emirates is also competitive, especially in the Arabian Gulf Cup.
Kenya National Team: A Historical Look
Ray Batchelor was appointed as the first national team coach in 1961. In 1963, Peter Oronge took over coaching duties but disappeared before a friendly against Ghana in 1965, leading to a 13-2 defeat against Ghana, their worst defeat ever.
FIFA suspended Kenya from all football activities for three months in 2004 due to government interference. Kenya was again suspended in 2006 for failing to resolve recurrent problems in its federation. Kenya qualified for the 2019 AFCON.
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The Kenya national football team.
Qatar vs. Kenya: Head-to-Head
Recently, Qatar and Kenya faced off in an international friendly match at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al-Wakrah. Details of the match are as follows:
- Qatar comes into this match with a draw, a win and a loss in their last games.
- Kenya, on the other hand, come into the game with two defeats and one win.
In the friendly match between Qatar and Kenya, Abdurisag received a pass in the area and was brought down by Otieno, winning the penalty.
Match Details
The match took place at the Al Janoub Stadium, which has a capacity of 20,000 spectators, expanded for the 2022 World Cup.
Naturalization of Players
Qatar has faced scrutiny for its practice of naturalizing players. In the early 1970s, the QFA naturalized players like Ezzuldin Osman (Sudan), Hassan Mukhtar (Egypt), and Ryad Murad (Lebanon). Critics have claimed this practice is exploitative. Sepp Blatter, then-president of FIFA, warned Qatar about relying too heavily on naturalized players.
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While it is reasonably common for footballers to represent national teams other than their birth nations, the nature and extent of the practice for the Qatari team have been the subject of scrutiny and criticism at various points during the 21st century.
In the 2015 friendly against Algeria, six of the eleven players in the starting team were born outside of Qatar.
Key Tournaments and Competitions
Both Qatar and Kenya participate in various major tournaments:
- Qatar: FIFA World Cup, AFC Asian Cup, Arabian Gulf Cup, Copa América, CONCACAF Gold Cup, FIFA Arab Cup, WAFF Championship.
- Kenya: Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), CECAFA Cup.
FIFA Rankings and Elo Ratings (October 2025)
Here are the current FIFA rankings and Elo ratings for both teams as of October 17, 2025:
| Team | FIFA Ranking | Elo Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | - | - |
| Kenya | - | - |
Note: The specific rankings and ratings were not provided in the original text, so place holders were used.
