World Cup 2022: Qatar vs Ecuador Match Preview
The first match of the World Cup 2022 will take place at the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as hosts Qatar lock horns with Ecuador in Group A.
Felix Sanchez Bas’s men are competing on the biggest international stage for the first time in their history, while Ecuador make their return to the World Cup finals after 8 years.
So, let’s have a closer look at this match, what to expect from it, who has better chances to win, etc.
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World Cup 2022, Group Stage, Group A, Qatar vs Ecuador
20 November, 2022, Al Bayt Stadium
World Cup 2022: Qatar National
Qatar has qualified for the World Cup 2022 as host country. That’s their first appearance in this tournament.
Qatar Squad for the World Cup 2022
Coach: Félix Sánchez Bas
Goalkeepers: Saad Al-Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Yousef Hassan
Defenders: Pedro Miguel, Musaab Khidir, Tarek Salman, Bassam Al-Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed, Jassem Gaber
Midfielders: Ali Asad, Assim Madabo, Mohammed Waad, Salem Al-Hajri, Moustafa Tarek, Karim Boudiaf, Abdelaziz Hatim, Ismail Mohamad
Forwards: Naif Al-Hadhrami, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Hassan Al-Haydos, Khalid Muneer, Akram Afif, Almoez Ali, Mohamed Muntari
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Qatar’s Group A fixtures
20 November: Qatar vs Ecuador
25 November: Qatar vs Senegal
29 November: Qatar vs Netherlands
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World Cup 2022: Ecuador National
Ecuador have already played at three World Cup final tournaments in 2002, 2006 and 2014, but only once have they progressed beyond the group stages, being eliminated in the round of 16, 16 years ago.
Ecuador Journey to the World Cup 2022
Ecuador played 18 matches, winning 7 of them, playing 5 draws and losing 6 matches. With 26 points, Ecuador finished the group in 4th place.
Ecuador Squad for the World Cup 2022
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Goalkeepers: Moises Ramirez, Alexander Dominguez, Hernan Galindez
Defenders: Robert Arboleda, Piero Hincapie, Angelo Preciado, Jackson Porozo, William Pacho, Xavier Arreaga, Felix Torres, Pervis Estupinan, Diego Palacios
Midfielders: Sebastian Mendez, Jose Cifuentes, Alan Franco, Moises Caicedo, Angel Mena, Jeremy Sarmiento, Ayrton Preciado, Gonzalo Plata, Carlos Gruezo, Romario Ibarra
Forwards: Kevin Rodriguez, Michael Estrada, Djorkaeff Reasco, Enner Valencia
Ecuador’s Group A fixtures
20 November: Ecuador vs Qatar
25 November: Ecuador vs Netherlands
29 November: Ecuador vs Senegal
World Cup 2022 Qatar vs Ecuador: Head to Head
Qatar and Ecuador have met 3 times so far. Qatar won 1 time, 1 time won Ecuador, and teams played 1 draw. All 3 matches were international friendlies, and this World Cup match will be the first official match between these teams.
World Cup 2022 Qatar vs Ecuador: Predictions
Qatar’s performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup: In the last 5 CONCACAF matches, Qatar won 3 against Grenada, Honduras and El Salvador, played 1 draw against Panama, and lost the match against USA.
14-07-21 Qatar 3-3 Panama
18-07-21 Grenada 0-4 Qatar
21-07-21 Honduras 0-2 Qatar
25-07-21 Qatar 3-2 El Salvador
30-07-21 Qatar 0-1 USA
Ecuador’s performance in the Copa America: In the last 5 Copa America matches, Ecuador played 3 draws against Brazil, Venezuela and Peru, and lost 2 matches, against Colombia and Argentina.
14-06-21 Colombia 1-0 Ecuador
20-06-21 Venezuela 2-2 Ecuador
23-06-21 Ecuador 2-2 Peru
27-06-21 Brazil 1-1 Ecuador
04-07-21 Argentina 3-0 Ecuador
Overall, both teams are supposed to play with their main line-ups, with only some players not available for the upcoming match.
In this match, Ecuador are considered the favorites, but Qatar are given a boost as the home side, which may hugely affect the match result. Besides, as hosts Qatar owe their fans an interactive match, and there is no doubt they’ll try their best to start the tournament with positive notes.
What about you? What do you think, how will this match end? Let us know in the comments!
