Pandas sent by China arrive in Qatar ahead of World Cup
Qatar: Footballers on Monday arrived in Qatar ahead of next month’s World Cup, in which they are aiming to reach the quarter-finals.
The players were accompanied by their families on their arrival to the country, just days before Qatar’s national team is set to take on Syria and Jordan in the first Group C game on Friday.
They will play Russia in two group games before the final is played in April.
The United States were the only team to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup, in Brazil, despite being drawn in Group D with England, France, Senegal and Mexico.
Qatar is set to bid for the 2017 edition of the tournament, which has not been held since Brazil, in 2014.
‘It’s very nice to be here, to stay in the country, to see how it is,’ China Women striker Zhang Peng told Reuters.
‘The atmosphere is very good. I can feel the spirit of the fans.’
The Chinese national team players arrived in the country around midday and are due to have lunch with their team mates and their families.
The players have made arrangements to arrive in Qatar on Monday evening.
“The World Cup is very important for our country and we will show our support for any way we can. This is what we will do every time,” Zhang Peng, one of the group’s Chinese players, said
Zhang, who has scored a goal for the team this season, is the first Chinese to score any goals at a World Cup.
However, Chinese football did not appear to have taken off in Qatar after the Asian Games in 2013.
‘The World Cup is always very good for our country,’ Zhang said.
‘Qatar will offer us a stable playing environment with good performance and we will try our best to win the competition.’
The players
