Fourteen national teams will compete in Doha for seven coveted spots in the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, with all qualification matches held in the Qatari capital. The decisive single-leg fixtures will take place on November 25 and 26, determining which teams advance to the main tournament scheduled for December 1 to 18.
Mauritania and Kuwait Kick Off Qualifiers
The qualification stage begins with an unpredictable encounter between Mauritania and Kuwait at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium. The Kuwaiti team, with a rich history of eight appearances in the tournament, is looking to recover from recent setbacks. They failed to qualify for the 2021 edition after a 2-0 loss to Bahrain and were also eliminated from the third round of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Mauritania, meanwhile, aims to secure its third appearance in the Arab Cup, following participation in 1985 and 2021. The team is also seeking to bounce back after narrowly missing out on qualification for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Syria Faces Ambitious South Sudan
In another key match, Syria will take on South Sudan at Grand Hamad Stadium. Syria is considered the favourite, possessing a strong squad and expecting significant support from its large community in Doha. The team hopes to advance beyond the group stage this time, after finishing third in its group in the previous tournament despite a notable 2-0 victory over Tunisia.
South Sudan is determined to qualify for the Arab Cup for the first time. The team is looking to overcome the disappointment of the last qualifiers, where they lost 3-0 to Jordan, and cause an upset against their more experienced opponents.
Palestine and Libya in Evenly Matched Contest
A tightly contested match is expected between Palestine and Libya at Thani bin Jassim Stadium, with both teams sharing a strong desire to secure a qualifying spot. Libya hopes to return to the tournament after a 1-0 loss to Sudan denied them a place in the last edition. The team aims to build on solid performances during their African qualifiers for the World Cup 2026.
Palestine seeks a second consecutive finals appearance, having qualified for the previous edition by defeating Comoros. However, they will be keen to improve on their 2021 group stage exit, where they secured just one point from a draw with Saudi Arabia.
Final Day Decides Remaining Spots
Four matches on the final day will determine the remaining qualifiers for the tournament.
Oman vs Somalia
Oman faces Somalia at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in a repeat of their 2021 qualifier, which Oman won 2-1. The Omani team aims to qualify for the second time in its history after reaching the quarter-finals in the last tournament.
Djibouti vs Bahrain
At Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Djibouti will attempt to make its first-ever appearance in the Arab Cup. They face a formidable Bahraini side that, despite being the favourite, is looking to improve on a disappointing group stage exit in 2021 where they earned only one point.
Comoros vs Yemen
Grand Hamad Stadium will host the clash between Comoros and Yemen. Comoros is another nation hoping to make its Arab Cup debut after losing to Palestine in the previous qualifiers. Yemen is focused on returning to the competition after a 2-0 loss to Mauritania ended its 2021 campaign.
Sudan vs Lebanon
The qualifiers conclude with a competitive match between Sudan and Lebanon at Thani bin Jassim Stadium. Both teams are eager to book their place in the prestigious regional event.
The seven winners will join the nine top-ranked teams that have already qualified directly for the group stage. These qualification matches set the stage for the main tournament, a platform reinforcing Arab cultural and historical bonds through the shared passion of football.
