The preliminary phase of the Asian Qualifiers brings together the 12 countries of the continent with the lowest FIFA ranking, marking the beginning of the journey towards the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Timor-Leste will play against Malaysia on June 7 and June 11, 2019.
The Preliminary Round
The race for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins far from the luxurious conditions of the Middle East — without the stars of the great European clubs and without large crowds. The opening match takes place between Mongolia and Brunei in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, at a compact stadium with capacity for 5,000 spectators and a synthetic grass pitch.
In this preliminary stage, round-robin encounters define six teams that advance to the next phase, where the remaining Asian nations will enter the dispute. The preliminary phase also carries weight for the 2023 Asian Cup, offering countries with little tradition the opportunity to dream of World Cup participation.
Nations in the Spotlight
Several stories stand out among the 12 competing nations:
- Guam — the tiny island territory belonging to the United States
- Sri Lanka — the Asian country with the worst FIFA results
- Laos — one of the few remaining countries under communist rule
- Timor-Leste and Macau — two former Portuguese colonies aiming to advance to the second phase
Pakistan’s Brazilian Connection
Pakistan enters with a notable weapon: Brazilian coach José Antônio Nogueira, who has led the national team since the previous year. His technical commission also includes trainer Beto Portella and goalkeeper coach Marcelo Schroeder.
“In Pakistan, the challenge is to change the internal culture of the country. The first sport is cricket; football may be in second place. It is already possible to see children starting to wear shirts from Brazil and European teams,” said Nogueira.
Pakistan’s local football has few foreign players and has only had a professional league for around 15 years. “The Pakistani player has no experience or activity as strong as other players, but he has quality that needs to be worked on. Half of my squad is already playing abroad, so it’s very diverse,” Nogueira added.
In January 2019, Atlético Madrid opened a football academy in the eastern city of Lahore, with Spanish coaches working to develop local talent.
Cambodia’s Famous Coach
Pakistan’s first-round opponents, Cambodia, have their own headline story. Former Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda — who played for AC Milan — is now responsible for managing the Cambodian national team.
First Round Fixtures
| Home | Away |
|---|---|
| Mongolia | Brunei |
| Bhutan | Guam |
| Laos | Bangladesh |
| Cambodia | Pakistan |
| Macau | Sri Lanka |
| Malaysia | Timor-Leste |
New Qualifier Calendar
With the World Cup scheduled for November and December 2022, the qualifiers begin later than usual. Except for Europe and Africa, all continents will conclude their qualifying campaigns in early 2022 — approximately eight months before the tournament begins. Following Asia’s opening rounds, Oceania and Africa will begin their own qualifying disputes later in the year.
Three Questions for José Antônio Nogueira
What is the style of the Pakistani national team?
“We changed the style a lot. It was a very slow game — just balls thrown from defence to attack, with direct play. There was no work in the midfield, no intelligent organisation. They only played long balls to create physical contests between attacker and defender. That was how the game was played both in the national team and in the league clubs.”
Have the political problems of the region affected your work?
“There was a situation in Kashmir where we were unable to participate in qualifying matches for a 2020 championship in Thailand. The disputed territory between India and Pakistan caused the airspace to be blocked, leaving us with no way to travel for the match days or training trips.”
How far can Pakistan go in the qualifiers?
“Our team is still at an early stage of development. Our goal is to get through Cambodia and reach the group stage — something that has never happened before. We are focused on winning that first match to gain momentum, improve our FIFA ranking, and build from there.”