Doha, November 24 (QNA) - The participation in the 11th FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, hosted by the State of Qatar for the third time in history, will generate tremendous gains, ex-coach of Syria's football squad, Yasser Sibai, highlighted to Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The FIFA-supervised tournament is set to run from Dec. 1 to 18, 2025, with the participation of 16 teams.

Sibai added that this hosting will undoubtedly be consequential for all Arab squads, with 16 teams available. He called on Arab federations to ensure the continuation of this championship and to effectively participate with all Arab stars in the future.

This critically important tournament is an opportunity for Arab squads to essentially compete, given the fact that Qatar's organization had an exceptional edition four years ago in 2021, Sibai highlighted. He affirmed that this fresh edition won't be less terrific or powerful than the previous one.

He noted that the tournament kicks off one month ahead of the start of the 2026 tournament, recalling that there is a significant presence of Arab squads in the global event, which will be held in summer 2026 in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

As for Syria having finished as runners-up on three occasions in the Arab Cup while marking its eighth participation, Sibai underlined that Syria's squad has undoubtedly beautiful memories in this championship, stating that he participated in Syria-organized tournaments in 1992, culminating in crowning the Egyptian team with the title.

These memories can hardly be forgotten, given the participation of a sheer number of Arab football stars, he noted.

Finally, Sibai indicated that his team's pursuit in this participation is to make a striking presence in terms of performance and results.

However, he said, the squad should take on the South Sudan team tomorrow and go through the playoff to secure a place in the group stage, and of course, Syrian fans are hopeful their team can go far. (QNA)