• Qatar seeks to win back its fans when it faces Syria at 7:00 PM at Khalifa International Stadium.

“SofaScore,” the football statistics website, revealed on Thursday the ideal lineup for the first round of the group stage of the 2025 Arab Cup taking place in Qatar.

The selection of this lineup was not based solely on team results, but primarily on numerical metrics and the highest-rated players in each position.

The lineup highlighted the standout performance of Yazan Al-Naimat from Jordan, who captured attention with his contribution to his country’s victory.

An interesting note in the ideal lineup was the inclusion of two Egyptian players, Akram Tawfik and Islam Essa, despite Egypt’s national team drawing against Kuwait in their opening match.

This choice confirms that strong individual performance carried significant weight in the evaluation. The lineup also included experienced players such as Ali Maaloul, captain of Tunisia and former star of Al Ahly SC.

The ideal first-round lineup was distributed as follows: in goal, Shaher Al-Shaker (Syria); in defense, Lucas Mendes (Qatar), Sofiane Bouftini (Morocco), and Abdullah Naseeb (Jordan); midfield included Ali Maaloul (Tunisia), Victor Lekhal (Algeria), Mohammed Kanno (Saudi Arabia), and Akram Tawfik (Egypt); the attack featured Islam Essa (Egypt), Yazan Al-Naimat (Jordan), and Said Hashim Essa (Bahrain).

With the first round concluded, the second round of group stage matches begins today with two games in Group A, which includes Qatar, Tunisia, Syria, and Palestine.

Attention first turns to Lusail Stadium at 4:30 PM Cairo time to watch a fiery match between Palestine and Tunisia.

This encounter carries double significance, as both teams aim to secure a win to strengthen their chances of advancing.

Meanwhile, Qatar aims to reconcile with its fans when it faces Syria at 7:00 PM at Khalifa International Stadium.

The Syrian national team, nicknamed the “Eagles of Qasioun,” enters this match in high spirits, leading their group after a victory in the opening round. Syria hopes to achieve a second consecutive win to secure early qualification for the knockout stages, while Qatar faces the responsibility of restoring balance.