Qatar Postpones Iraq Friendly After Sacking Coach

Qatar says it has postponed Wednesday's friendly match against Iraq after sacking coach Milovan Rajevac and replacing him with Brazilian Sebastiao Lazaroni.

The unexpected departure of Rajevac came late Sunday after Qatar was beaten by Vietnam last month in the second leg of its 2014 World Cup qualifier. It still advanced 4-2 on aggregate.

Lazaroni, who previously led local club Qatar SC and had stints with the Brazilian and Jamaican national teams, is the third coach this year for the Gulf nation, which is under pressure to improve after winning the bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

A spokesman for the Qatar Football Association said a new date for the Iraq match has not been set.