How does this affect our A League situation? Is it duering an international break? Half a team missing? I note they are going there 5 days early for it. I can understand why but ffs, just for a friendly? Why ?
The key is the Aspire Academy in Qatar where they will be training - the world's most expensive football academy with some of the best facilities.
http://backpagefootball.com/aspire-academy-qatars-...
It opened in 2004 as part of Qatar's push to host the World Cup - 500,000 13 - 15 year-olds are trialed internationally every year with the best earning places. They have satellite academies around the world in Africa, South America etc.
The All Whites will probably be training there for free.
Qatar will have their own motives - such as buttering-up NZ, the major player in Oceania, to support them now their World Cup hosting in 2022 is threatened by bribery allegations.
However Qatar's motives are by no means all bad - football is part of the ruling family's push to popularize their more progressive form of Islam with increased political, human and women's rights. The Al-Jazeera TV network is the most visible form of this (interestingly, NZ journalists largely run the international news department). The Qatari regime are often openly critical of repressive governments in Muslim countries and have openly financed rebel groups in the Arab Spring.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/qatar-won-...
Plus, the timing is good before the A-League starts, in an official FIFA window (1-9 September) so clubs are obliged to release players:
http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/calendar/events.html
Plus, important to get the new All Whites manager in working with the players , having a chance to try out players and form opinions on them for future selections leading towards the important OFC Nations Cup / World Cup qualifiers starting October next year:
http://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc/News/ViewArticl...
And Uzbekistan at 59 in the world are the fourth highest ranked side in Asia, ahead of Australia (June FIFA rankings - AFC rankings):
1. Iran 2. Japan 3. Korean Republic 4. Uzbekistan 5. Australia
Uzbekistan are ranked higher than South Africa (65), Poland (69) or the Republic of Ireland (70)
Aspire Academy, Qatar (indoor, outdoor pitches; 5400 seat indoor stadium)
