Qatar players will wear t-shirts bearing the message ‘haven’t we suffered enough?’ before tonight’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland, it has emerged.
Captain Hassan Al-Haydos revealed Qatar’s players were planning to do something to express their feelings about having to endure 90 minutes of football against Stephen Kenny’s side.
The team said in a statement:
‘The national team demand to know why the Qatar Football Association would inflict such intolerable cruelty upon its own players?’
Qatar’s players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2019 AFC Asian Cup final football match between Japan and Qatar at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi on February 1, 2019. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo credit should read KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
‘Being forced to play this current Republic of Ireland team in a meaningless friendly surely contravenes the workings of the Geneva Convention?’.
‘Let it be known to the world we’d rather watch a 90-minute YouTube tutorial on replacing the toilet roll on the holder narrated by Ed Sheeran than play this pointless game’.
Following the statement, Luxembourg players took to social media to show solidarity with Qatar having suffered through a game with the Irish last weekend.
Les Lions Rouges captain Laurent Jans posted a picture of the pennant he exchanged with Seamus Coleman before the two sides met at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday, along with the caption: ‘We stand with Qatar’.
Gerson Rodrigues who scored the 85th minute winner against Stephen Kenny’s men tweeted: ‘Je suis Qatar’.
Paddy Power News understands that Amnesty International has written to numerous football associations around the world urging them to put pressure on FIFA to ensure the rights of the Republic of Ireland’s opponents are properly protected.
Meanwhile, Republic boss Stephen Kenny admits it’s likely his side have already exhausted their goal reserve for the year having scored twice against Serbia.
‘Come on now, don’t be greedy’, the 49-year-old told Paddy Power News.
‘We might get the odd OG, wicked deflection or penalty going our way. Stranger things have happened I suppose.
‘Maybe I’ll get the FAI to organise a nice wee morale-boosting friendly against one of the minnows of world football.
‘Is there a team worse than Luxembourg?’, he asked.
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