A date with history for hosts and debutants Qatar

Not since Italy in 1934 has any nation hosted the FIFA World Cup having never qualified to the competition, and Qatar will want to avoid the fate of South Africa, who remain the only host country to be eliminated in the group stage. But with only Saudi Arabia and Ghana ranked below them in the most recent FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking among the 32 teams, the odds are stacked against them.

OFFICIAL:

An unfancied side even at continental level, Qatar had never progressed past the quarter-finals in the AFC Asian Cup until 2019. But Felix Sanchez’s men proved to be a different breed to their predecessors, taking the tournament by storm and cruising to their maiden title with a string of performances that saw them concede only one goal as they bagged 16 and defeated four former champions in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Korea Republic and Japan to lift a fully deserved title.

With no involvement in the Asian Qualifiers as hosts, the Maroon filled the past couple of years by participating in the CONMEBOL Copa America Brazil 2019, the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021 and the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, reaching the semi-finals of the latter two.

A generation of players whose entire career was built around preparing for Qatar 2022 will be under immense pressure to perform, but with an unmatched level of stability and big crowds behind them this winter, anything is possible.

Qatar’s Group A Fixtures
20 November
Qatar vs Ecuador (19:00 local time, Al Bayt Stadium)

25 November
Qatar vs Senegal (16:00 local time, Al Thumama Stadium)

29 November
Netherlands v Qatar (18:00 local time, Al Bayt Stadium)

Key Player: Almoez Ali

Qatar’s conservative approach on the pitch means chances are likely to be few and far between as they take on Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands in Group A, putting even more emphasis on Ali’s exceptional eye for goal.

The 26-year-old is already third in his country’s all-time scorers list, his 39 strikes putting him just three shy of record holder Mansour Muftah. In 2021, Ali joined Mexico’s Luis Hernandez to become the second player in history to finish as top scorer in two different continental competitions, having done so at the AFC Asian Cup 2019 with nine goals and the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2021 with four.

Having previously had stints in Austria and Spain, Ali now plies his trade at home with Al Duhail, where he enjoys mentoring from one of the game’s all-time great forwards in Hernan Crespo, his club’s head coach.

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