Jamaica and Qatar will meet for a friendly international in Austria today as both sides prepare for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, later this month.
The Reggae Boyz last took to the field back in March, while the Maroons returned to action for the first time since January with a defeat to Croatia B last week.
Jamaica held Mexico to a 2-2 draw in their most recent outing back in March, but Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Nations League finals after recording one win and three draws to finish two points behind the Mexicans in Group A.
That draw extended Jamaica’s winless run to eight matches across all competitions, with five draws and three losses coming since their last victory, including a 1-1 draw with Qatar in a friendly back in August 2022.
When you look at the bigger picture, the Reggae Boyz have managed to win just one of their previous 11 games in all competitions, recording six draws and four defeats while keeping a solitary clean sheet in the process.
It is also worth noting that Jamaica have conceded at least two goals in nine of their last 18 matches, so Hallgrimsson will be eager to tighten things up defensively ahead of his team’s CONCACAF Gold Cup opener against the United States next weekend.
Qatar, meanwhile, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Croatia B last week, with new manager, Carlos Queiroz, using the friendly to make 11 substitutions as he aims to get familiar with his players before the Gold Cup gets underway.
The guest nation will compete in their second successive CONCACAF tournament after hosting the World Cup, having reached the last four of the 2021 Gold Cup before suffering a semi-final defeat to the United States.
It would not be unfair to say that Qatar flattered to deceive during their home World Cup, as they lost all three of their group games while scoring a solitary goal, resulting in a disappointing group-stage exit from the tournament.
The Maroons also suffered heartbreak in January’s Arabian Gulf Cup, as they finished second to Bahrain in Group B before suffering a semi-final defeat to Iraq, who went on to secure an extra-time triumph over Oman in the final.
As a result, Qatar head into Thursday’s clash on a run of one victory in eight matches across all competitions, with the three World Cup defeats preceding post-World Cup losses against Bahrain, Iraq and Croatia B. — SportsMole
