Embattled Qatar out to prove point at Asian Cup

Qatar are out to prove a point on the pitch as they begin their Asian Cup campaign under the cloud of the Gulf crisis and with the added scrutiny of hosting the next World Cup.

Coach Felix Sanchez said his players were determined to stay focused on the job at hand in the United Arab Emirates, one of the countries enforcing a damaging blockade on the 2022 World Cup hosts, ahead of Wednesday's Group E opener against Lebanon.

"We've done the same that we are doing in any competition. We are here, we arrived, we are doing our training sessions," he told reporters in Al Ain.

The diplomatic chill could make for a fraught atmosphere for Qatar, especially when they face arch-political rivals Saudi Arabia in Abu Dhabi on January 17.

"Once we are on the pitch, we are going to focus only on what happens inside," he insisted.

"As for crowd, of course they have to enjoy the game and to do what they think they have to do.

"From our side we're going to be only focused on the game."
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