World Cup hero Milutinovic urges Qatar to ‘seize’ chance

AFP, DOHA: For a country which craves World Cup experience, it is fitting that one of the tournament's greatest ever coaches, Bora Milutinovic, now calls Qatar home.
The "Miracle Worker" is the man who was a penalty shootout away from taking Mexico to the semi-finals in 1986, saw his Costa Rica team beat Scotland and Sweden in 1990 and watched his USA side progress to the knockout stage in 1994, helping kindle fresh interest in football in the States.
Alongside Brazilian Carlos Alberta Perreira he is the only person to have coached five different sides at World Cup finals. He guided Nigeria at the 1998 finals and China in 2002.
A cult hero, Milutinovic's name is almost as much part of World Cup folklore as Franz Beckenbauer, Mario Kempes, Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane.
Although he has no official coaching role in Qatar, Milutinovic is regularly seen at matches in Doha and travels to see games across Asia. Who then better to ask if Qatar can realise a nation's - and World Cup 2022 organisers - dream and reach the finals for the first time in Russia in two years' time?
On Thursday, Qatar begin the Asian Football Confederation's third round of qualifiers, having powered through the second round, topping their group winning seven games out of eight.
Now they are playing with the AFC big boys and have been drawn in Group A, which contains Iran, South Korea, China, Uzbekistan and Syria.
Qatar are 80th in the FIFA world rankings. Their seeding suggests Qatar should finish fifth, form means a chance of finishing third and forcing themselves into a play-off for Russia, and hope equates to securing one of the top two spots in the group and automatic passage to the World Cup finals.
“I think in this group there are two favourites, South Korea and Iran,” says Milutinovic.
But, he adds, if they falter, Qatar is the team best placed to take advantage.
“Qatar in qualification, they were the best team. They only lost once. Qatar has a new coach, a new team and they have the players who can adapt. “The minimum should be third; Qatar needs to seize the minimum.”
One concern he has though is the schedule.
The first game is in Tehran, away to the group favourites and in front of its formidable crowd.

World Cup hero Milutinovic urges Qatar to seize chance

AFP, DOHA: For a country which craves World Cup experience, it is fitting that one of the tournaments greatest ever coaches, Bora Milutinovic, now calls Qatar home. The Miracle Worker is the man who was a penalty shootout away from taking Mexico to the semi-finals in 1986, saw his Costa Rica team beat Scotland and Sweden in 1990 and watched his USA side progress to the knockout stage in 1994, helping kindle fresh interest in football in the States. Alongside Brazilian Carlos Alberta Perreira he is the only person to have coached five different sides at World Cup finals. He guided Nigeria at the 1998 finals and China in 2002. A cult hero, Milutinovics name is almost as much part of World Cup folklore as Franz Beckenbauer, Mario Kempes, Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane. Although he has no official coaching role in Qatar, Milutinovic is regularly seen at matches in Doha and travels to see games across Asia. Who then better to ask if Qatar can realise a nations - and World Cup 2022 organisers - dream and reach the finals for the first time in Russia in two years time? On Thursday, Qatar begin the Asian Football Confederations third round of qualifiers, having powered through the second round, topping their group winning seven games out of eight. Now they are playing with the AFC big boys and have been drawn in Group A, which contains Iran, South Korea, China, Uzbekistan and Syria. Qatar are 80th in the FIFA world rankings. Their seeding suggests Qatar should finish fifth, form means a chance of finishing third and forcing themselves into a play-off for Russia, and hope equates to securing one of the top two spots in the group and automatic passage to the World Cup finals. I think in this group there are two favourites, South Korea and Iran, says Milutinovic. But, he adds, if they falter, Qatar is the team best placed to take advantage. Qatar in qualification, they were the best team. They only lost once. Qatar has a new coach, a new team and they have the players who can adapt. The minimum should be third; Qatar needs to seize the minimum. One concern he has though is the schedule. The first game is in Tehran, away to the group favourites and in front of its formidable crowd.