Qatar pray for a miracle

NEED A SHOCK: HOSTS OUT TO AVOID BEING KNOCKED OUT IN THE FIRST ROUND

Hosts Qatar will have to spring a surprise to avoid becoming only the second host nation to be knocked out of a World Cup in the first round, with the Netherlands and Senegal favourites to progress from Group A.

The Asian champions will open the tournament on Sunday against Ecuador in Al Khor, after the tournament start date was moved forward to allow the home side to play the first match.

The Qatar squad spent almost four months in near-lockdown to prepare for the tournament, but have struggled in recent friendlies – losing to Canada and a Croatia Under-23 team.

“They are preparing for a World Cup for the first time in their lives. These players are sacrificing their time, they are staying away from home, from their families,” former Qatar player Mohamed Mubarak al-Mohannadi said.

The only time the hosts fell at the first hurdle was when South Africa went out in the 2010 group stage.

Qatar will be quietly confident of making an impression in their first appearance at the global showpiece, though, having won the 2019 Asian Cup and reached the semifinals of the Arab Cup last year.

Ecuador have qualified for only their fourth World Cup and will be the underdogs in the group.

Three-time losing finalists the Netherlands, featuring Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk and several exciting young players including PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo, take on Senegal the following day.

All five African teams failed to reach the knockout phase of the 2018 edition in Russia, although Senegal will be expected to get through this time after the heartbreak of missing out to Japan four years ago only due to their worse disciplinary record.

Sadio Mane, who finished second in this year’s Ballon d’Or voting to Karim Benzema, will lead a strong squad who won their first ever Africa Cup of Nations title in February.

The Dutch return to the finals after missing out on qualification for Russia.

Louis van Gaal, who took them to a third-place finish in 2014, is back in charge and the Oranje are unbeaten since being dumped out of Euro 2020 by the Czech Republic, without the injured Van Dijk.

The winners of Group A will face the runners-up of Group B – containing 2018 semifinalists England, the United States, Iran and Wales – in the last 16.

The Netherlands will be without experienced midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum who suffered a broken leg just one game into his loan spell at Roma from Paris Saint-Germain. – AFP