The FIFA World Cup 2022 begins with a bang on Sunday, 20th November, at the Al-Bayt stadium in Al-Khor. The hosts, Qatar, take on Ecuador in this first fixture of the prestigious tournament. This group A game will officially commence the World Cup. The match will occur immediately after the opening ceremony at the same venue. FIFA’s tradition is to start the World Cup only after the opening ceremony. Another essential practice is to begin the tournament featuring either the defending champions or the hosts in the opening fixture.
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FIFA WORLD CUP OFFICIAL BROADCASTERS
ECUADOR
The citizens of Ecuador can follow the FIFA World Cup on Telemazonas. The Ecuadorian television network will telecast all the matches of the World Cup in Ecuador. Telemazonas have the official broadcasting rights to all the games being telecasted in Ecuador. Ecuadorians can pursue their team’s take on the hosts Qatar on the Telemazonas network.
Qatar
People living in Qatar during the World Cup can enjoy the matches live on the beIN SPORTS global network. beIN is the official broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup in the country. The fans and football enthusiasts residing in Qatar can follow the World Cup on the beIN SPORTS global network.
Fifa World Cup Fixture Table for Both the Teams
DATE | MATCH | STADIUM |
21st November | Senegal VS the Netherlands | Al Thumama Stadium |
25th November | Qatar VS Senegal | Al Thumama Stadium |
25th November | Netherlands VS Ecuador | Khalifa International Stadium |
29th November | Senegal VS Ecuador | Khalifa International Stadium |
29th November | Netherlands VS Qatar | Al Bayt Stadium |
Qatar and Ecuador compete in the group’s first game and tournament. This means none of the team has time to settle in and has to hit the ground running immediately. Ecuador has form on their side, with two wins and zero defeats in their last six matches. On the other hand, Qatar has only one win in their previous six games, with one loss and four draws. Although Ecuador is in better form currently, Qatar will have the home-ground advantage on their side. This is a big boost going into such a big competition.
Things to watch out for
- Ecuador has scored only three goals in their previous six games, whereas Qatar has scored 7 in their last six matches. It will be interesting to look at how the Ecuador defence manages to keep the Qatari attackers at bay in their game.
- Qatar won the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 and made it to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021. Their Spanish manager Felix Sanchez focuses on an attacking style of play which will be a threat. This will serve them as a boost heading into the World Cup.
- Qatar and Ecuador have faced each other only once before, resulting in a win for Qatar by 4 to 3. This high-scoring, entertaining match is most certainly an indication of what is on the cards for the viewers on 20th November.
Table of Fifa World Cup Squad
QATAR
ROLE | PLAYERS |
Goalkeepers | Saad Al Sheeb, Meshaal Barsham, Salah Zakaria |
Defenders | Tarek Salman, Pedro Miguel, Bassam Al-Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed, Musab Khoder. |
Midfielders | Karim Boudiaf, Ahmed Fadel, Jassem Gaber Abdulsallam, Abdulaziz Hatem, Mohammad Waad, Mustafa Mashaal, Ali Asad. |
Attackers | Akram Afif, Abdelrahman Moustafa, Khalid Muneer Mazeed, Hasan Al- Haydos, Ismaeel Mohammed, Naif Al- Hadhrami, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Mohammed Muntari. |
Coach | Felix Sanchez |
ECUADOR
ROLE | PLAYERS |
Goalkeepers | Hernan Galindez, Jorge Pinos, Moises Ramirez. |
Defenders | Fernando Leon, Piero Hincapie, Robert Arboleda, Byron Castillo, Pervis Estupinan, Xavier Arreaga, Angelo Preciado, Diego Palacios. |
Midfielders | Michael Carcelen, Carlos Gruezo, Romario Ibarra, Angel Mena, Jeremy Sarmiento, Gonzalo Plata, Jhegson Mendez, Alan Franco, Moises Caicedo. |
Attackers | Jordy Caicedo, Michael Estrada, Enner Valencia. |
Coach | Gustavo Alfaro |
These are the probable players who will board the flight to the FIFA World Cup from both teams. The squad may alter and is subject to change as the World Cup approaches due to injuries or other factors.