DOHA: Qatar squad is well prepared for the Gulf Cup that will feature the region's top teams in Saudi Arabia next week, team manager Farid Mahboob said in an interview. Here are excerpts from the interview: How do you see the readiness of the Qatar side ahead of the Gulf Cup opener? The team is well prepared. We have played some serious football recently. And the games we have played have helped the players gain in confidence. The players have sharpened their technical skills too. We have achieved the goals we set to achieve before the long series of friendlies that started in September. What are your views ahead of the Saudi clash? The opening game of the tournament is very important to both sides. It is not only important for the home team but for us too. Saudi Arabia will be playing on home soul so the game will be tough. How have you prepared your team to tackle the pressure from the home fans of the Saudi side? I think the Qatar side knows how to tackle such pressure situations. Coach Djamel Belmadi has done wonders with the players on how not to get overworked in tough situations. I think Qatar players know the meaning of creating psychological pressure on the opponents. Can you talk about the absence of Sebastian Soria from the squad? The first point is that Sebastian has not been excluded from the squad. The player has excused himself and it is up to the player to speak about the reasons (for his absence). He is an influential players and his absence can impact our attacks. However, we are confident that coach Belmadi has things sorted out to tackle his absence. What about the absence Khalfan Ibrahim? His injury has come at a bad time since we needed him but we have to deal with this scenario. His absence has affected our preparations. He is a solid player. He makes things happen on the pitch. He is an excellent player but he needs at least three weeks to recover so that means he is out of Gulf Cup. Do you think Boualem's return is a pleasant surprise? It (his selection) is not a surprise because he has worked hard to get selected. He has prepared well. In the absence of Khalfan Ibrahim and Sebastian Soria, he he will key for us. He has his work cut out. What is the main reason for the return of Abdul Qadir? A fluent player like him cannot be ignored. He did well for Umm Salal. Our coach has made it clear that a player must perform for his club to be considered for national selection. In this event Abdul Qadir was an easy selection. Why do some people feel that there is a gap between the media and Djamel Belmadi? I do not agree about the so-called gap between the media and the coach. He is a coach who focuses on his work. He does not do regular media interviews. He does it only when it is necessary. We appreciate his philosophy. There is a media coordinator and it works well for us (Qatar Football Association). Would it be fair to say that your focus is more on the Asian Cup than the Gulf Cup? These two are separate events but yes, they are very important to us. Both events demand equal attention from all our stakeholders. We deal with things objectively. We look at events that concern us. We gather that you said 'that the real test for Al Annabi would be in Asian Cup .. what's your response? Look, the Asian Cup is clearly a more tougher event since Asia's best sides feature in the event.The Asian Cup demands greater attention and focus. However, doing well in the Gulf Cup is just as important for us. Do you agree with the view that the results in friendly matches may be deceptive? I do not agree with such views but let's be realistic that if we win more than one friendly in succession it means the players are doing well and it bodes well for the confidence of our players. For us every game is important since we have the Gulf Cup coming up followed by the Asian Cup. We also have the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches and then 2016 the Olympic Games qualifiers. Any message for your fans? I have a message for our fans as we head for the Gulf Cup: your continued support is important. Whether the results are good or bad but your support is key for the team.