Qatar's French coach Bruno Metsu named a 24-man squad for the tournament without the inclusion of the former Boavista man.

"Metsu recalled Yasser, but Ahli refused to release him due to their hectic schedule in the domestic league," the Qatari Football Association said in a statement.

Yasser recently revealed that he would join Qatar immediately if Metsu recalled him for the Gulf Cup, which runs from January 4-17.

Metsu overlooked Yasser for several matches during the past couple of months, claiming that the player was not ready to play for Qatar due to lack of first-team opportunities at Ahli.

The 24-year-old has been used mainly as a substitute since joining Ahli in the summer as a free agent.