Qatar have their task cut out after being pitted alongside South Korea, Kazakhstan and Chinese Taipei at the Asian Games starting in Incheon, South Korea, on September 19.
Qatar coach Juan Manuel Cichello believes his wards would have to lift their game by several notches if they are to mount a serious challenge.
Qatar, ranked 49th in the world, are now playing in a four-nation friendly tournament, featuring Venezuela, Mexico and Algeria soon after coming back from their 10-day training camp in Slovenia.
“If you look at the FIVB rankings, all teams in our group are rated above us. That shows how tough our group is. We’ll have to work very hard to advance to the knockout stage,” said Cichello.
The Argentinian, facing his first major assignment since taking charge in February, was trying to draw positives from the camp in Slovenia.
“We worked on our flaws and the players showed marked improvement. That’s a positive sign. But as I said, the Asian Games is a big stage with some of the best teams from the region. The level of the field is very high. We need to be at our best,” said Cichello.
The hosts, ranked 19th, are Qatar’s toughest opponents in the group while Kazakhstan and Chinese Taipei are ranked just four and three places respectively ahead.
“There’s still time to catch up. We’re playing many friendlies to get into the competitive groove. We’re trying various permutations and combinations before finalising the squad,” he concluded.