Match Preview:

Faced with a few challenges on and off the field, the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup kicks off at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor, Qatar on Sunday 20 November with all eyes on the host country as they get the tournament underway against Ecuador.

This will be Qatar’s first-ever World Cup appearance, having never made it to the big spectacle before and faced with the mammoth task of fighting for a top-two spot and qualifying for the knockout phase. They find themselves in a very tricky Group A, also with three times World Cup runners-up Netherlands and African champions Senegal.

The Qatari side, coached by Spaniard Felix Sanchez is the lowest-ranked team in Group in the 50th place globally and fifth in Asia. Coming to this tournament, their last international friendly match was a one-all draw against Chile in August.

The 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup champions, will be meeting Ecuador in only the second match between the two nations, the first encounter—an international friendly match played in 2018, Qatar narrowly 4-3 in that seven-goal thriller.

Ecuador, who qualified as the fourth-best team from the CONMEBOL region and just avoiding the play-off route by two points, will fancy their chances against the hosts. They are currently ranked six spots above Qatar in the 44th position and are more experienced at this level.

This will be Ecuador’s fourth appearance in the World Cup and their best finish was in 2006 in Germany, managing to reach the second round and finish 12th overall in the standings.

Team News:

Qatar

Sanchez has been coaching the Qatari national team for the past five years, previously a youth coach at FC Barcelona before moving to Qatar to work on the Aspire Academy in 2006. The 46year-old started working with the Qatar junior national teams in 2013 taking over the U19 and U23 teams and he’s deeply entrenched in this project.

“We are a small country, with a small population. We know that we are going to play against teams, that individually have players who are very strong, high-level players and playing in big leagues and in the best clubs in the world.

“There are guys that I have known for 12-13years, I have trained with. I have known some of them since they were kids and now they are grown men and at the gates of playing the World Cup,” Sanchez recalled his time in Qatar.

Over the past five weeks, the gulf nation has played four unofficial friendly matches (training games) and won all those games against Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and. Albania.

“One of the keys, has obviously been our preparation and playing matches of this calibre, at this level, and has helped us a lot. Especially the level of our game and where we still need to improve.

“The result is always important because competition is the most important thing, but also to see on an individual level and tactical level, how the players are doing. It’s always important for them to understand what we are expecting from them, especially on a tactical level.,” said Sanchez.

Ecuador

One of the biggest challenges this week for Ecuador was the omission of defender Byron Castillo from the final squad due to a dispute over his nationality. Chile, who finished seventh in the qualifiers, had lodged a complaint that Castillo was not eligible to play for Ecuador, alleging that his true nationality was Colombian.

The case was dismissed by both FIFA and Court of Arbitration for Sport but the Ecuador Football Federation was still fined just over $100 000 and ordered to forfeit three points in the first game of the next round of World Cup qualifiers, for having used false documents.

But coach Gustavo Alfaro, who was previously with Boca Juniors in Argentina still has enough capable players to fight for a passage to the knockout phase.

Players to watch:

Gonzalo Plata – Ecuador

With Ecuador bringing a youthful team to this tournament, Real Valladolid striker Gonzalo Plata is leading the revolution of the new talent. At the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland, he led Ecuador to a bronze medal spot after losing to South Korea in the semi-finals and beating Italy in extra time.

Playing with a sweet left foot, Plata was awarded the bronze ball for the third-best player of the tournament, after finishing with two goals in seven games.

Three of his five goals at the international level were scored in the tightly contested South America world cup qualifiers, where he also contributed with three assists. And it will be interesting to see if the 22year-old can replicate that kind of performance at this level.

Almoez Ali- Qatar

As for the Qatar national team, all eyes will be on their leading goal scorer when they lifted the Asian Cup title three years Almoez Ali, who netted nine goals in seven matches. That feat, was a record in a single edition of that tournament.

Born in Sudan, and only moved to Qatar at the age of 7, Ali played his youth football in Belgium before moving to Austria.

The 26year-old has been playing for Qatar senior national team since 2016, and was the top goal scorer at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, finishing with four goals in five matches.

Ali is currently the joint all-time leading goal scorer for Qatar with 42 goals and the hosts can count on him to break this record in this World Cup.

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