World Cup 2022: the Qatar team has an appointment with its history

Qatar national football team captain Hassan Al Haydos.

REUTERS - Ibrahim Alomari

Text by: David Kalfa Follow

4 mins

The Qatar selection will launch a 2022 FIFA World Cup that their country is organizing from November 20 to December 18.

This Sunday in Al Khor, from 4 p.m. UT (7 p.m. in Doha), against the Ecuadorians, the Qataris will try to give a good image, they whose team remains largely unknown on the international scene.

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From our Special Envoy in Doha,

It's D-Day for the Qatar men's national football team.

The Maroon – nickname for Qatari footballers – will launch the

, twelve years after their country obtained the organization under controversial conditions.

" 

," reacted their captain, Hassan Al Haydos, at a press conference.

”.

It is a necessarily unique moment for the little-known Qatari selection.

It only played its first match in 1970 (2-1 defeat against Bahrain) and had never played a World Cup finals before that.

She has never done better than a 42nd place in the ranking of the International Federation (Fifa).

Qatar is currently hovering around 50th and its main feat remains winning the Asian Cup in 2019.

Minimal experiences

Since this coronation in the United Arab Emirates, the Maroon have shown a certain regularity by winning the bronze medal at the Arab Cup 2021 at home and third place at the last Gold Cup (tournament which brings together the nations of North America, Central America and the Caribbean) where they were invited.

Enough to calmly approach the next Asian Cup that Qatar will also host, in 2023.

To (re) read ► 2022 World Cup: match schedule and results

But what can the Qataris aim for during this long-awaited World Cup?

They have already beaten strong European nations such as Russia and Switzerland in the past, which can offer them hope against the Netherlands, who will be their last opponents in Group A (November 29) .

They also had some success against African nations: Algeria, Egypt ... What, there too, to believe in their chances on November 25 against a Senegal deprived of its star striker, Sadio Mané, package for the competition?

But maximum preparation

Before the Dutch and the Senegalese, the team led since 2017 by the Spaniard Felix Sanchez will nevertheless have to make a successful entry against Ecuador.

Ecuadorians against whom, in a full Al Bayt Stadium, a victory would obviously be welcome.

“ 

, assures Felix Sanchez.

 ”.

Qatar coach Felix Sanchez and captain Hassan Al Haydos.

REUTERS - MATTHEW CHILDS

To meet it, Qatar will rely on the diligent game advocated by its coach, who worked for FC Barcelona.

And he will count on the homogeneity of his group, all the players playing in the local championship, the Qatar Stars League (QSL).

This has also allowed the Qatari Federation (QFA) to organize a long break, so that its flag selection can complete a very long preparatory course of almost five months, punctuated by around twenty preparation matches.

And persistent controversy

On the other hand, Felix Sanchez will not be able to rely on big individuals.

In recent years, the QFA has also undertaken reinforcement work by naturalizing players born abroad and having played in QSL.

As a result, around ten elements out of the 26 selected for this 2022 World Cup were born abroad (Algeria, Egypt, France, Ghana, Portugal, Iraq, etc.), sometimes without past links with Qatar.

The current national team A top scorer (42 goals), Almoez Ali, is Sudanese by birth.

The latter had also been at the heart of a procedure for ineligibility launched by the Emirati Federation during the 2019 Asian Cup. Legal action without a future since Almoez Ali will be there, with the ambition of being one heroes of this 2022 World Cup...

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