Our prediction for this Gold Cup match:
A place in the Gold Cup semis will be at stake when Panama and Qatar go head to head at AT&T Stadium. Los Canaleros set up a meeting with Qatar thanks to their fine displays in Group C and it is no wonder the odds for home win have been dropping. The good news for the hosts is that important midfielder Anibal Godoy is back from suspension.
The Gold Cup special guests, on the other hand, did well to shock Mexico in the decider, but it has to be noted that they had only one goal attempt in the Levi’s Stadium showdown. Anyhow, home win should be considered as Panama have been producing much better showings than Qatar at the 2023 Gold Cup finals. As for the nominal visitors, midfielder Yusuf Abdurisag returns from suspension, while Mohammed Waad should miss out through injury. Ali Assadalla is ready to step up.
Highlighted Player (Anibal Godoy):
Anibal Godoy is a professional footballer who plays for Panama national football team. The powerful midfielder was born on February 10, 1990 and he has been playing for los Ticos since March 4, 2010 when he made his debut for the national team.
Anibal Godoy played full 90 minutes in the 2-1 win over Venezuela and he scored his first goal for Panama four years late in a 3-1 victory over El Salvador. Speaking of his club career, Godoy played for Chepo of Panama from 2007 to 2010 and he moved to Europe in the summer of 2013, signing a deal with Hungarian outfit Honved.
After playing 24 league games (one goal) for Honved, Godoy signed for Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes in August 2015. Anibal Godoy is a defensive midfielder and his preferred foot is left. His contract with San Jose should expire in December, 2017 and it has to be noted that he began his youth career Arsenal de Sarandi of Argentina.
Highlighted Team (Qatar):
Qatar national team played their first official international game on March 27, 1970, with the team losing to Bahrain (1-2) on the road. The Maroons suffered their biggest defeat to Kuwait in January, 1973 and 42 years later they recorded their biggest win against Bhutan (15-0). Qatar did remarkably well to win the 2019 Asian Cup, with the team beating Japan 3-1 in the title game. The same year the Maroons received a wild card for the Copa America.
Qatar were elected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup as well. The Asian side are well known for their dark red shirts, whereas their away kit is white. Qatar are affiliated to both AFC (Asia) and WAFF (West Asia) confederations. Sebastian Soria is the most capped Qatar footballer and it has to be noted that he is still the team’s top scorer. The Maroons play their home games at various stadiums, but they are likely to play their 2022 World Cup opener at Lusail Iconic Stadium which can hold up to 80,000 spectators.