Pompey look to add Qatar club friendly

POMPEY are closing in on finalising playing opposition during their Spanish training camp.

Danny Cowley’s side have pencilled in a fixture with Qatar SC on Saturday, July 9, at the end of their week-long stay in Murcia.

According to the website of the Pinatar Arena Football Center, the venue will host the match at 4pm.

However, the Blues insist they are currently putting the finishing touches to arrangements and are not yet ready to confirm.

Pompey are also exploring the possibility of allowing a fixed number of supporters into the arena to watch the game – at no cost.

Cowley’s men fly out to Spain on Monday, July 4, as they step up pre-season preparations ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

Training will be based at the impressive Pinatar Arena Football Center, whose facilities will also be used by Nottingham Forest, Bradford and Crawley during the same week.

Pompey had hoped to face an unnamed English side in a friendly, however the proposed opposition are scheduled to fly back on that same day.

Instead they have turned their attention to Qatar SC, a club team based in Doha who compete in the Qatar Stars League.

Qatar SC, who are currently training in Spain, are also booked to play Shrewsbury on Wednesday, July 6.

Pompey officials are keen to stress that their opponents are not the Qatar national team, whose fixture with Watford was cancelled on Monday after two supporter groups voiced concerns over the country’s human rights record.

Pompey travel to the Hawks on Saturday (July 2) and Gosport Borough (July 3) the following day.