Qatar 2022: Group G 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 G, with Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Camerron looking to book their place in the knockout stages of the tournament.
BRAZIL
Brazil have no shortage of World Cup pedigree.
They are five-time winners, with the last of those successes back in 2002, and they head to Qatar as one of the favourites to lift the World Cup on December 18.
Brazil do feel the fear as the world’s most envied team – but have the temperament and quality to rule in Qatar.
For a squad of such talent and nation of such gilded World Cup history, Brazil are looking up ambitiously at a sixth title, not down nervously at the other contenders snapping at their heels.
Tite’s side set a new record for most points in CONMEBOL qualifiers. Including the 12-game unbeaten run leading to Russia 2018, they are now 29 games unbeaten in World Cup qualifiers.
Thirteen clean sheets in 17 qualifying games this time around with an average of 2.5 goals scored per game, proves just how confident Brazil will be feeling at both ends of the pitch going into this tournament.
Where in Russia there was division and doubt, now there is unity and belief. There is harmony to the samba beat. Brazil have the quality; it is now up to them to show it.
Brazil as a nation don’t lack confidence when it comes to the fortunes of the national football team. For this World Cup, those confidence levels are sky high, and it’s clear to see why.
Tite has got them playing well, Neymar is having a superb season at Paris Saint-Germain and their squad depth is off the charts.
Everything is gelling for the Seleção. Crucially, there is belief in the manager. There have been times in the past where the spotlight has been on the man in charge to get the best out of the country’s most technically gifted players – but there is no such scrutiny this time around.
What’s we’ve seen during the qualifying campaign is the benefit of a complete cycle.
Going into the last World Cup, he’d had less than two years. He’s now had the complete cycle heading into this World Cup and it’s just given him much more time to work.
Everything that Tite has tried has worked. It’s all changed since they lost the final of the Copa America last year to Argentina. Since then, they’ve gone 15 games unbeaten – 12 wins and three draws – 38 scored, five conceded.
The only problem during the build-up to the World Cup is that everything has gone too well.”
Tite has always brought a club-management style to his coaching, and his selections have been vindicated so far. There is a lot of positivity surrounding the Brazil camp. What could possibly go wrong?
Player to watch: Thiago Silva
One doesn’t suspect Brazil will run into any sort of trouble during the group stages. They might not until at least the quarter-finals, all being even with Group H, where Portugal’s superiority should mean they finish top and therefore miss a last-16 date with the South Americans.
With Vinicius and Rodrygo involved, Tite’s final selection will be a statement of intent for the future but he also honours the past, and those who have served him so well to this point.
Thiago Silva is 38 and his current contract with Chelsea expires at the end of the season. The veteran would like a new deal sorted before heading to Qatar. His entire time at the club has been geared towards this moment. Over two decades of accolades, but his greatest body of work could still lie ahead if his career is capped by World Cup gold.
For a player who spoke so emotionally about returning to face Milan recently for Chelsea, the possibility of captaining his country at a World Cup ratchets up those emotions still tenfold.
Yet the armband will not weigh heavily on him. A sense of control comes from a fourth finals with Brazil and he will not let his last – maybe best – shot at glory pass him by.
Unused at 2010 in South Africa and suspended for the Mineiraço – the 7-1 thrashing to Germany – in 2014, Silva was then partnered with Miranda at the 2018 World Cup and his pace in a back four was exposed by Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Whether Silva is trusted again as part of a back four by Tite remains one of his biggest calls.
With 108 caps to his name, Silva has all the experience to lead from the front if called upon.
“He’s 38 years old, 38 years young and an impressive person,” Chelsea boss Graham Potter said last month. “He’s a character, a proper guy, who’s got a fantastic experience but has a humility to just do the job.”
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton.
Defenders: Dani Alves, Danilo, Alex Sandro, Alex Telles, Bremer, Eder Militao, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva.
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Everton Ribeiro, Fabinho, Fred, Lucas Paqueta.
Attackers: Antony, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Neymar, Pedro, Raphinha, Richarlison, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior.
Fixtures:
- November 24th v Serbia
- November 28th v Switzerland
- December 2nd v Cameroon
SERBIA
This year’s World Cup undoubtedly represents Serbia’s best chance of success at the tournament since they became an independent nation in 2006.
As part of Yugoslavia, they finished fourth in 1930 and 1962, but since the break up of that nation, Serbia have only succeeded in reaching the group stage in 2018 and 2010 – and also in 2006 as Serbia & Montenegro.
Serbia did stun Germany in the 2010 World Cup group stage but blew their qualification chances by losing to Australia, while their 2018 campaign was undone by defeats to Switzerland and Brazil, despite starting brightly with a win over Costa Rica.
Remarkably, Serbia have once again been drawn against Switzerland and Brazil in Group G for this year’s tournament, while Cameroon have taken the place of Costa Rica.
The presence in their group of the two sides that beat them four years ago represents a perfect opportunity for Serbia to show how far they have progressed in that time.
The team’s results in recent seasons would suggest they have come a long way. After failing to qualify for Euro 2020, Serbia went unbeaten on their way to topping their World Cup qualifying group, beating Portugal into second place after taking a point from them in Belgrade and then winning in Lisbon.
Serbia then backed up that impressive campaign by earning promotion to the top flight of the Nations League, beating Norway and Sweden away on their way to winning their group.
Dragan Stojkovic’s side are on a roll so don’t be surprised to see them tipped as dark horses in Qatar this winter.
After taking over as manager in March 2021, Dragan Stojkovic has led Serbia to just three defeats in 20 matches – and two of those were in friendlies.
The 57-year-old may have seemed a curious appointment given his interesting career path. After ending his playing days, during which he represented clubs including Marseille and Red Star Belgrade, Stojkovic became president of the Serbian FA and then Red Star.
The former midfielder then made the move into coaching with Japanese club Nagoya Grampus but had never coached outside of Asia before taking charge of the national team, with Chinese side Guangzhou R&F his only other previous employer.
But the choice of Stojkovic as coach has so far been inspired. With the exception of a 1-1 draw against Jamaica last year, the manager has stuck with a three-man defence, while he also regularly lines his side up with two strikers.
Those are tactics that make sense given the forwards at Stojkovic’s disposal. Aleksandar Mitrovic has a sensational 50 goals in 75 caps and has made a strong start to the Premier League season with Fulham, while Dusan Vlahovic has scored more than 20 goals in the past two Serie A campaigns.
The front two are ably served by captain Dusan Tadic, who has 33 assists in 90 games for Serbia from his position at No 10, while Juventus’ Filip Kostic provides thrust from left wing-back.
The three-at-the-back system makes Serbia tough to break down, with just 19 goals conceded in Stojkovic’s 20 games in charge, but it hasn’t blunted their attack, with an average of two goals a game scored under the manager.
Player to watch: Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic and Dusan Tadic have the potential to wreak havoc on opposition defences in Qatar, but it’s a player who lines up a little further back that may prove to be the pick of the bunch.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is perennially linked with a move to the Premier League but has so far opted to remain at Lazio, where he won the Italian Cup in 2019.
Milinkovic-Savic is a key cog in the centre of the field for Maurizio Sarri’s side, where he has played for more than seven years. Since the start of the 2017/18 season, the 27-year-old ranks fourth among all midfielders in Serie A for both goals and assists, while he is fifth for passes completed.
It’s not just in possession where Milinkovic-Savic excels. During the same time period, he also ranks in the top 10 for tackles and interceptions, while no other midfielder comes close to the aerial duels he has won.
Milinkovic-Savic provides quality both in and out of possession as well as a guaranteed goal threat both with his feet and his head. If Serbia are to fulfil their potential at the World Cup, don’t be surprised if he is at the heart of it.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Marko Dmitrovic, Predrag Rajkovic, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
Defenders: Stefan Mitrovic, Nikola Milenkovic, Strahinja Pavlovic, Milos Veljkovic, Filip Mladenovic, Strahinja Erakovic, Srdjan Babic
Midfielders: Nemanja Gudelj, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Sasa Lukic, Marko Grujic, Filip Kostic, Uros Racic, Nemanja Maksimovic, Ivan Ilic, Andrija Zivkovic, Darko Lazovic
Forwards: Dusan Tadic, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Vlahovic, Filip Djuricic, Luka Jovic, Nemanja Radonjic
Fixtures:
- November 24th v Brazil
- November 28th v Cameroon
- December 2nd v Switzerland
SWITZERLAND
Commendable draws home and away against European Champions Italy set the foundations for Switzerland to impressively qualify for Qatar automatically as Group C winners.
Murat Yakin’s side sealed their spot at the end of their unbeaten campaign with an emphatic 4-0 win over Bulgaria to capitalise on the Azzurri’s stalemate in Northern Ireland – and Yakin sent a load of Swiss chocolate to the Northern Ireland team as a thank you for the part they played in his team’s progress.
His side will now be aiming to build on an encouraging Euros, which saw Switzerland beat World Cup holders France in the last 16 – their first win in a major tournament knockout tie since 1938 – before taking Spain to penalties in the quarter-finals.
There will surely be sweet treats in store for the Swiss players if they can do that in Qatar.
Switzerland caused an upset at the Euros, knocking out world champions France, and almost did the same to Spain, and they’ve picked up some notable scalps since. There was victory over Portugal in June and finally a win over Spain in September, followed by a somewhat fortuitous success over Czech Republic to maintain their top-flight status in the Nations League.
A worrying run of four defeats in five games – and a draw at home to Kosovo – earlier in 2022 has been put to bed and, settled in their 4-2-3-1, Switzerland look to have an encouraging blend through the pitch.
Centre-back options Manuel Akanji, Fabian Schar and Nico Elvedi are solid, Ricardo Rodriguez – fresh from winning his 100th cap – is among several experienced figures, Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler combine well in midfield and an attack, led by Breel Embolo, offers genuine threat.
Brazil will be favourites for Group G but the Swiss should be confident of pipping Serbia and Cameroon to the second qualifying spot.
Player to watch: Granit Xhaka
Rejuvenated Arsenal midfielder Xhaka captains his country and with over 104 caps is an essential figure at the heart of the team.
In Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic and Xherdan Shaqiri Switzerland have a range of attacking threats but if Xhaka can replicate his form for Arsenal on the biggest stage then they could be in business.
It wasn’t long ago the 30-year-old looked to be on his way out of Arsenal but Mikel Arteta has coached him back to his best level and handed him a role he’s relished, bursting forward from central midfield to join in with attacks and get involved in the opposition penalty area.
Typically, there have already been a couple of yellow cards waved in his direction this season but if Xhaka can keep his composure in the high pressure arenas of a World Cup then he has the opportunity to drive Switzerland into another major tournament knockout phase.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Gregor Kobel, Yann Sommer, Jonas Omlin, Philipp Kohn
Defenders: Manuel Akanji, Eray Comert, Nico Elvedi, Fabian Schar, Silvan Widmer, Ricardo Rodriguez, Edimilson Fernandes
Midfielders: Michel Aebischer, Xherdan Shaqiri, Renato Steffen, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria, Fabian Frei, Remo Freuler, Noah Okafor, Fabian Rieder, Ardon Jashari
Forwards: Breel Embolo, Ruben Vargas, Djibril Sow, Haris Seferovic, Christian Fassnacht
Fixtures:
- November 24th v Cameroon
- November 28th v Brazil
- December 2nd v Serbia
CAMEROON
This will be Cameroon’s eighth appearance at a World Cup. They made their competition bow in 1982 and drew all three group matches in Spain.
Fast forward eight years, they re-emerged as somewhat of a surprise package at Italia ’90, making an indelible imprint on the tournament’s history as one of only two CAF nations (the other being Egypt) to qualify for the finals that year.
To much-heralded acclaim, they miraculously beat defending champions Argentina – led by the late great Diego Maradona – before going on to reach the quarter-finals, eventually succumbing to Bobby Robson’s England.
In doing so, they went further than any African nation had ever managed at a World Cup before; a feat only equalled twice since, by Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.
Since making their mark on the world stage 32 years ago, Cameroon have mustered just one win from 15 group-stage matches in their last five tournament appearances combined.
As for UK-based talent, well, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo earned his first cap since switching allegiances from France in a recent friendly loss to Uzbekistan. Swansea City’s Olivier Ntcham is also on the fringes.
The ‘Indomitable Lions’ have been dealt a tough hand in group proceedings. They open against Switzerland, before meeting Serbia and the much-fancied Brazil. All three nations are ranked significantly higher in FIFA’s pre-tournament charts.
Suffice to say, qualification from such a competitive four-team grouping is going to be demanding. Their ace card, Vincent Aboubakar, lit up the Africa Cup of Nations at the start of 2022, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals.
Wing-man Karl Toko Ekambi, of Lyon, claimed second prize with a highly respectable five strikes to his name. They both outscored Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane by a considerable distance.
Also among their player roster are Andre Anguissa, whose masterclass for Napoli played a part in humiliating Liverpool in Naples back in early September, as well as Bayern Munich’s Eric Choupo-Moting. A sprinkling of notable talent, then, who will need to be equally exceptional in Qatar if Cameroon’s outside hopes of progression are going to be realised.
Player to watch: Andre Anguissa
Once of Fulham notoriety, Andre Anguissa’s impression on west London across a term spanning four years was understated. But if his Champions League exploits are anything to go by this season, the 26-year-old looks to be a player reborn at Napoli. Liverpool got to witness that first-hand on European opening night.
His performance at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona was almost unrecognisable. Anguissa scored Napoli’s second of a 4-1 thrashing, and his high-powered, energetic display was the hallmark of everything good about Luciano Spalletti’s vibrant side.
A box-to-box midfielder, Anguissa will need to summon a similar amount of endeavour, and encourage the same of his teammates, if Cameroon are going to defy the odds in Qatar. He’s adventurous and unafraid, which again are qualities his nation needs to embody if they are going to inspire a break with recent tradition.
The Serie A table is shining fondly on leaders Napoli in the early part of the season – Anguissa will hope to carry some of that momentum into World Cup competition in November.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Andre Onana, Devis Epassy, Simon Ngapandouetnbu
Defenders: Jean-Charles Castelletto, Enzo Ebosse, Collins Fai, Olivier Mbaizo, Nouhou Tolo, Nicolas Nkoulou, Christopher Wooh
Midfielders: Olivier Ntcham, Gael Ondoua, Martin Hongla, Pierre Kunde, Samuel Oum Gouet, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Jerome Ngom
Forwards: Nicolas Ngamaleu, Christian Bassogog, Bryan Mbeumo, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, Jean-Pierre Nsame, Vincent Aboubakar, Karl Toko-Ekambi, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Souaibou Marou
Fixtures:
- November 24th v Switzerland
- November 28th v Serbia
- December 2nd v Brazil
