Qatar 2022: Group A Preview

After four and a half years the 2022 World Cup is almost upon us. This edition is perhaps the most controversial ever with host nation Qatar’s human rights record and treatment of migrant workers a serious issue in the buildup. The awarding of the tournament to the Middle Eastern country meant a traditional summer World Cup was out of the question due to high temperatures spawning the first ever winter World Cup. Nevertheless the month long festival of football looks set to thrill us with some of the biggest stars in the game hoping to lead their nation to glory.

Here’s a comprehensive look at Qatar 2022’s Group A, with Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands looking to book their place in the knockout stages of the tournament.

QATAR

Qatar are the beneficiaries of automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup thanks to their role as hosts. Cynics may suggest winning the right to stage the tournament was the only way the country could have reached the finals, given they have never previously played at one.

That’s not to say Qatar are complete no-hopers, given they won seven games in a row – including victories over South Korea and Japan – and scored 19 goals on their way to winning the 2019 Asian Cup.

Qatar also finished third in the 2021 Arab Cup – which they hosted – while they have been invited to compete in the Copa America and Gold Cup (South and North America’s continental championships, respectively) in recent years.

The Arab nation were knocked out at the first hurdle in the 2019 Copa America after finishing bottom of a group containing Paraguay, Colombia and Argentina, but they did reach the semi-finals of the Gold Cup last year, eventually falling to the USA.

As entry to this winter’s finals was guaranteed, Qatar had no need to take part in qualifying. Instead, Felix Sanchez’s side were a non-competitive member of Group A in European qualifying, meaning they played friendlies home and away against the five countries in the group to help prepare them for the tournament.

Despite being placed among the top-ranked sides in the draw thanks to their host status, Qatar find themselves in a group alongside the Netherlands, African champions Senegal and Ecuador. Progressing to the knockout stages would be a significant achievement.

Qatar have been relatively inactive as they build up to hosting the World Cup, with just five matches played in 2022.

On the plus side, they have only lost one of those matches – a 2-0 home defeat to fellow World Cup participants Canada in September. But on the flip side, Qatar have only one won of those five matches, and that came back in March, when they saw off Bulgaria with a 2-1 victory.

The other three games saw Chile, Jamaica and Slovenia – none of which have qualified for the finals – all claim draws in Qatar, meaning Felix Sanchez’s side face entering their home tournament without a win in eight months.

The hosts are hardly rampant in front of goal, with just five goals scored this calendar year and only one player – Akram Afif – scoring more than once.

That may be down to Sanchez often lining his side up in a 3-5-2 formation. The Spaniard spent 10 years as a youth coach at Barcelona before moving to Qatar, where he worked as a coach at the Aspire Academy before becoming Qatar’s U19, U20 and then U23 manager before finally being handed the reins of the senior side.

Player to watch: Akram Afif

It’s likely that very few members of Qatar’s squad will be recognisable to the majority the tournament audience given they exclusively play in the country’s domestic league, but if one member of their side has a chance of breaking into people’s consciousness, it’s Akram Afif.

The 25-year-old is no stranger to European football having spent time with a number of the continent’s clubs, including Sevilla and Villarreal. While Afif failed to make the grade at either club, he does have La Liga experience through his time with Sporting Gijon, and played more than 40 times for Belgian side KAS Eupen.

It’s back in Qatar where Afif has been able to shine though, with the winger helping Al-Sadd to back-to-back league titles and claiming 62 goals and 53 assists in just 77 games in the top flight.

Afif’s record in front of goal isn’t quite as impressive with Qatar, where he often plays as a striker, but he still has a respectable 24 strikes in 83 games for his country.

One of those goals came in the 3-1 win against Japan in the Asian Cup final three years ago, when Afif also registered two assists. The Al-Sadd star also found the net for his country at the Arab Cup and the Gold Cup, and played every minute of their Copa America campaign.

Quite simply, Afif is one of Qatar’s go-to players upon whom the eyes of the host nation will fall whenever they take to the field this winter.

Squad:

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

Fixtures: 

• November 20th v Ecuador
• November 25th v Senegal
• November 29th v the Netherlands

ECUADOR

Controversy surrounded Ecuador’s place ahead of their fourth World Cup appearance after FIFA dismissed an 11th-hour claim of ineligibility against defender Byron Castillo.

In September it was still unclear whether La Tri would compete at this year’s tournament after the Chile and Peru football associations lodged appeals over FIFA’s initial ruling in June which had deemed the right-back eligible.

The Football Federation of Chile (FFC) claimed Castillo, 23, is Colombian and used a false birth certificate to register as Ecuadorian. However, FIFA’s appeals committee eventually ruled Castillo does qualify for Ecuador. “This is a dark day for football and for the credibility of the system,” said Jorge Yunge, general secretary of the FFC.

Castillo played in eight of Ecuador’s 18 qualifiers, matches in which they picked up 14 of their 26 points to reach Qatar. They lost just once at home in an impressive qualifying campaign which saw them beat Uruguay, hammer Colombia 6-1, take four points from Chile and draw with both Brazil and Argentina on their way to earning fourth place in the South America qualifying section.

It is now 16 years since Ecuador made their only appearance in the knockout rounds having failed to get out of the group stage in their previous World Cup appearance in 2014. The world will be watching when they take on Qatar in the opening game, but no prizes for guessing who Chile will be supporting.

Ecuador’s formidable home record in qualifying powered them to Qatar, but life on the road has been tougher and they will need to address that this winter if they are to get through the group stage.

La Tri’s impressive home form is in part due to playing their matches at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado situated in Quito, the second-highest capital city in the world.

Sitting 2,850 meters above sea level, the altitude can cause headaches, literally, for opposing teams with the thinner air meaning less oxygen reaches players’ lungs.

In contrast, Qatar is one of the lowest-lying countries in the world with an average elevation of only 28 meters. Ecuador will be coming back down to earth.

Their squad is the second-youngest at the tournament behind the USA although Real Valladolid’s 21-year-old winger Gonzalo Plata has the potential to star for his country on the biggest stage along with Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie.

Ecuador will be difficult to break down with former Boca Juniors head coach Gustavo Alfaro setting his team up with a defence-first mindset. But it’s crucial they take three points in the opening game against Qatar before facing Netherlands and Senegal.

Player to watch: Enner Valencia

Ecuador’s hopes of breaching the defences of Qatar, Senegal and Netherlands to reach the knock-out stages will rest on the shoulders of their all-time top scorer.

Enner Valencia has 35 goals in 74 appearances for his country, a much better record than the 10 in 68 he managed during a two-year spell at West Ham.

That Hammers move came in the summer of 2014 after the Brazil World Cup in which Valencia scored all three of Ecuador’s goals in the group stage as they went out with four points.

Since his forgettable East London move, Valencia played 118 times for Mexican side Tigres UANL, scoring 34 times, before signing for Fenerbahce where he has been more prolific with 34 in 79.

He scored four more in Ecuador’s qualifying campaign to force what may be his last World Cup – and he can go out with a bang.

Squad:

To be announced on Monday November 14th.

Fixtures:

• November 20th v Qatar
• November 25th v the Netherlands
• November 29th v Senegal

SENEGAL

Senegal breezed through the group stage of CAF qualification for the 2022 World Cup, topping their section and going unbeaten to set up a playoff clash with rivals Egypt in March 2022, the same side they had beaten on penalties to win the Africa Cup of Nations just a month earlier.

On both occasions, Sadio Mane scored the winning penalty in nerve-jangling shootouts, the second time sending Aliou Cisse’s team to just its third World Cup in Qatar this winter, where they will look to at least match their memorable quarter-final showing in 2002.

The Lions of Teranga will arrive at the tournament confident of progressing from the group stages having finally being crowned champions of Africa at the start of this year, and once into the knockouts, no country would relish facing them.

Group A should hold no fears for a side that is strong looking, with good experience down its spine from the Chelsea duo of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and captain Kalidou Koulibaly at the back, to Everton’s Idrissa Gueye in the middle of the park and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr and new Bayern Munich forward Mane in attack.

While the latter maybe their star man, Cisse has built a real team spirit and never-say-die attitude into this group of players, as seen in their two shootout wins over Egypt, that could see them finally become the first African nation to make a World Cup semi-final.

Heading to Qatar this winter, the Class of 2022 have a wonderful opportunity to go one better than the side of 20 years earlier, who are still considered Senegal’s greatest team.

Containing players like the current coach and then captain Aliou Cisse, Papa Bouba Diop, Salif Diao and El Hadji Diouf – the latter two who secured moves to Liverpool following the tournament – the West Africans stunned the football world by beating the holders and European champions France in the opening game.

They then drew with both Denmark and Uruguay and saw off Sweden 2-1 to reach the last eight as runners-up in Group A, only to exit the tournament after losing 1-0 to Turkey thanks to a golden goal in the fourth minute of extra-time.

However, Cisse’s team could now surpass their heroes from Japan and South Korea 2002, as well as Cameroon at Italia 90 and Ghana at South Africa 2010, by making it out of a group containing the hosts, Ecuador and three-time runners-up the Netherlands and beyond the quarter-finals.

This will be just Senegal’s third appearance at a World Cup after 2002 and 2018, when they failed to even progress from the group stage, and it could be their best chance to make history and round off what has already been a memorable year for the country following their maiden Africa Cup of Nations triumph in February.

Finish in the top two of Group A and they would then be just two victories away from a semi-final berth and it would be fitting if it was Cisse, the one-time Birmingham City and Portsmouth midfielder who has been involved in all of Senegal’s greatest moments, who was at the helm for such a record-breaking feat.

Player to watch: Sadio Mane

If Senegal are to cause a stir in Qatar, then they need Mane to fire up front, as he has done on so many occasions for them in the past and particularly in 2022.

The Bayern Munich forward has been leading the line with distinction for Senegal for a decade now, starring for his nation in World Cups, Olympics and Africa Cup of Nations, even helping them win the latter for the first time in February 2022.

In fact, it was Mane who converted the decisive penalty in that shootout victory over Egypt earlier this year – when he was also named player of the tournament – like he did against the same opponents in the playoff win that saw them make it to Qatar.

The 30-year-old, who is Senegal’s record goal scorer, was crowned African Football of the Year after a stellar 12 months for Liverpool and his country in 2020, but that would all be topped if he could lead them to World Cup glory this winter.

As one of the best attackers in the world at present, Mane will, without doubt, be his country’s MVP in Qatar.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy, Alfred Gomis, Seny Dieng.

Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, Youssouf Sabaly, Fode Ballo-Toure, Pape Abdou Cisse, Ismail Jakobs, Formose Mendy.

Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye, Cheikhou Kouyate, Nampalys Mendy, Krepin Diatta, Pape Gueye, Pape Matar Sarr, Pathe Ciss, Moustapha Name, Loum Ndiaye.

Forwards: Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr, Boulaye Dia, Bamba Dieng, Famara Diedhiou, Nicolas Jackson, Iliman Ndiaye.

Fixtures:

• November 21st v the Netherlands
• November 25th v Qatar
• November 29th v Ecuador

The Netherlands

There’s probably no nation in world football that has such a boom-or-bust relationship with the World Cup as the Netherlands.

Ostensibly, they are one of the most successful sides to have taken part in the tournament, with only four countries being able to match their three appearances in the final.

However, they were unsuccessful on each occasion – in 1974, 1978 and 2010. No other side without World Cup glory to their name has lost that many.

But it’s not just in finals where the Netherlands have come up short. Quite often, they do not even reach the tournament at all. In fact, the Netherlands have only competed in 10 of the 21 World Cups that have ever been played.

Bizarrely, the Netherlands’ appearance in the 1974 World Cup – when they were beaten at the final hurdle by West Germany – was their first since 1938. Then, after following that up with another trip to the final in 1978, they failed to qualify for the next two tournaments.

This all-or-nothing approach has continued into the modern day. After coming fourth in 1998, the Netherlands missed out entirely in 2002, while they were also unable to qualify in 2018 despite coming third in 2014.

However, the return of Louis van Gaal has helped to bring some much-needed stability to the side. The former Manchester United manager was appointed for a third time in August 2021, with the Netherlands hoping he could recreate the success of his previous spell, when he led them to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2014.

Things have gone about as well as anyone could have hoped, meaning the Netherlands will head to Qatar full of confidence. Van Gaal is yet to taste defeat in his 15 matches in charge and led his country to top spot in both their World Cup qualifying group and Nations League group. The latter was particularly impressive, coming as it did after home and away wins over Belgium, who FIFA rank as the best side in Europe.

The Netherlands are fortunate to have been handed the seemingly straightforward task of progressing from a group containing Qatar, Senegal and Ecuador, meaning they should be shoo-ins for the last 16.

Add in a handful of world-class players, a long unbeaten run and an experienced manager who oozes self-confidence, and it would not be a shock to see the Netherlands targeting another final.

Whether you consider the Netherlands to be genuine contenders to finally win the World Cup probably depends on what part of their squad you look at.

With Virgil van Dijk, Matthijs de Ligt, Stefan de Vrij, Nathan Ake and Ajax’s Jurrien Timber in the squad, it could be argued Louis van Gaal has the tournament’s deepest pool of defenders to choose from.

There is also genuine quality further up the pitch, with Frenkie de Jong the pick of the midfielders and Memphis Depay the star of the attack. Denzel Dumfries and Tyrell Malacia also offer threats from wing-back.

However, other areas of the Netherlands’ squad leave you wondering how Van Gaal has managed to coax so many wins from this side. For example, Tottenham flop Vincent Janssen, now playing in Belgium after a three-year spell in Mexico, and Wout Weghorst, who scored two goals in 20 games as Burnley got relegated from the Premier League last season, featured in last month’s matches.

Van Gaal’s goalkeeping options are even more desperate, with Ajax’s Remko Pasveer handed the gloves for the Netherlands’ previous two games. They were his first caps for his country and came at the age of 38.

As he did during his previous spell in charge of the national side, Van Gaal prefers lining up with three defenders, which helps him to make the most of the plethora of quality centre-backs at his disposal.

The versatile Daley Blind often lines up as a left wing-back but it is Dumfries on the opposite flank that provides more of an attacking threat.

Former Manchester United player Blind is not the only ex-Premier League resident likely to feature for the Netherlands. Davy Klaasen (Everton), Steven Berghuis (Watford) and Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham) all endured disappointing spells in England but make up part of Van Gaal’s eclectic squad.

Player to watch: Denzel Dumfries

Anyone who followed the Netherlands during Euro 2020 will probably be familiar with Denzel Dumfries and he is likely to be one to watch once again for the Oranje at the World Cup.

Dumfries was a regular for then-manager Frank de Boer last summer, when he featured in all four of the Netherlands’ matches and caught the eye by opening the tournament with goals in the opening two matches.

While his country’s Euro 2020 campaign was ultimately underwhelming – ending as it did with defeat to the Czech Republic in the last 16 – Dumfries has remained a key player under Louis van Gaal.

The Inter Milan defender has featured in all but one of the 71-year-old’s matches so far, showing his versatility by lining up at both right-back and wing-back.

Dumfries’ five goals and six assists from his 37 caps show the attacking threat he poses down the right. It is form he has also shown at club level, ranking in the top 10 for goals and assists among defenders in Serie A since he joined Inter following Euro 2020.

Dumfries, who stands at over 6 feet tall, is also a threat from set pieces and crosses to the back post, which is where both of his Euro 2020 goals came from.

With Van Gaal favouring a three-man defence in the lead up to the World Cup, Dumfries’ marauding displays from right wing-back are likely to be a key feature of the Netherlands’ tournament.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Justin Bijlow, Andries Noppert, Remko Pasveer

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Daley Blind, Jurrien Timber, Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Matthijs de Ligt, Tyrell Malacia, Jeremie Frimpong.

Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong, Steven Berghuis, Davy Klaassen, Teun Koopmeiners, Marten de Roon, Cody Gakpo, Kenneth Taylor, Xavi Simons.

Forwards: Memphis Depay, Steven Bergwijn, Vincent Janssen, Luuk de Jong, Noa Lang, Wout Weghorst.

Fixtures:

• November 21st v Senegal
• November 25th v Ecuador
• November 29th v Qatar