Doha, November 28 (QNA) - Competition at the upcoming Arab Cup FIFA Qatar 2025, kicking off on December 1, will not be limited to the battles between players on the pitch.

The contest will also extend beyond the sidelines, as the coaches of the participating national teams aim to etch their names into the tournament's history.

The new edition of the Arab Cup will feature 13 distinct coaching schools represented across the 16 participating teams, each striving to assert its superiority over the others.

No single coaching philosophy will dominate the tournament, as three schools, Portuguese, Spanish, and Moroccan, will each be represented by two coaches, collectively leading six national teams. Meanwhile, Arab coaches will have a strong presence, with six taking charge of teams in the competition.

The Spanish school is represented by Julen Lopetegui, Qatar's 59-year-old head coach, who took charge on May 1. Lopetegui aspires to push his team deep into the tournament after guiding Qatar to qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Joining him is Jose Lana, the 50-year-old coach of Syria, who took the helm on August 23 last year and recently secured his team's qualification for the Arab Cup with a victory over South Sudan.

From the Moroccan school, prominent Jordan head coach Jamal Sellami, aged 55, enters the tournament bearing high expectations. Since taking charge on June 22 last year, Sellami has been tasked with maintaining Jordan's impressive trajectory, highlighted by their historic direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup and their first-ever appearance in the AFC Asian Cup final in 2023 under another Moroccan coach, Hussein Ammouta.

The second Moroccan representative is Tarik Sektioui, 48, head coach of Morocco's national team since March 2, 2024, who hopes to guide his squad deep into the competition.

The Portuguese school features two experienced figures, led by Carlos Queiroz, the 72-year-old Oman coach who assumed the role on July 15. Queiroz aims to surpass his previous achievement with Egypt, who finished fourth in the 2021 edition of the Arab Cup.

Helio Sousa, the 56-year-old coach of Kuwait, is the second Portuguese representative. Appointed on July 31, he has his sights set on a strong showing after guiding Kuwait past Mauritania in the qualifying rounds.

The Egyptian coaching school will be represented by Helmy Toulan, head coach of Egypt's national team and the oldest coach in the tournament at 76.

He was appointed on May 31 to assemble a squad capable of competing effectively in the Arab Cup, a challenge the veteran coach embraces, bringing decades of experience in Egyptian club football and youth national teams.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Algeria's Majid Bougherra will be the youngest coach in the tournament at 43.

He enters the competition with strong ambitions following his success in guiding Algeria to the previous Arab Cup title, defeating Tunisia 2–0 in the final. 

The upcoming edition of the Arab Cup FIFA Qatar 2025 will also witness a notable presence from the non-Arab African coaching school, represented by Malagasy coach Hamada Jambay, 50, who took charge of Comoros in 2024.

Jambay aims to continue producing surprises at the Arab Cup finals after leading his team to a dramatic comeback in the qualifiers against Yemen. Comoros, who trailed 2–4 until the final minutes, managed to equalize before sealing qualification via penalty shootout.

The African continent will also be represented by Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah, 65, head of Sudan's national team since September 20, 2023.

Appiah enters the Arab Cup with ambitions of a deep run after Sudan showed impressive form under his leadership in both the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Sudan secured their Arab Cup berth by defeating Lebanon in the playoffs.

Olaroiu Cosmin, 56, head coach of the United Arab Emirates and the sole representative of the Romanian school, took charge on April 19.

He faces pressure to deliver strong results following the UAE's exit from the Asian World Cup qualifying playoff after a 2–3 aggregate defeat to Iraq.

Palestine's head coach Iyhab Abu Jazar, 45, hopes for a standout showing after marking his first year in charge, appointed on December 3, 2024, by guiding Palestine to the finals through a penalty-shootout victory over Libya.

Australian coach Graham Arnold, 62, will represent the Australian school with Iraq's national team.

Appointed on May 9, Arnold aims to leave his mark on the tournament after leading Iraq to the intercontinental playoff for the 2026 World Cup.

Tunisia's coaching tradition will be showcased through Sami Trabelsi, 57, who leads his national team into the Arab Cup with hopes of capturing a title that slipped away in the previous edition when Tunisia narrowly lost to Algeria in the final.

Trabelsi, appointed on February 10, is determined to achieve a new milestone for Tunisian football.

French coach Hervé Renard, 57, will represent the French school as he seeks a long-awaited achievement with Saudi Arabia, entering the Arab Cup in his second spell with the team since October 26, 2024.

The Croatian school will be present through Dragan Talajic, 60, head coach of Bahrain since February 22, 2024. Talajić aims for a strong performance after guiding Bahrain to the finals with a 1–0 win over Djibouti in the qualifiers.

As the tournament approaches, the tactical battle between coaching schools from across the world is set to intensify on Qatar's pitches. In the end, one philosophy will emerge victorious, crowned through the glory of lifting the Arab Cup title. (QNA)