Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
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Boss Sanchez has faith in the underdog hosts
QATAR have produced off the pitch – and head coach Felix Sanchez is backing them to deliver on it.
A 12-year wait to host the World Cup ends tomorrow after a £220billion spending splurge during which the entire fabric of the Middle East state has been upgraded.
The cash has been lavished on a new road network, transport infrastructure, hotels and stadia and now all the ingredients are in place for a successful tournament.
But can Qatar realise its ambitions on the pitch?
A training camp in Marbella has been conducted amid the utmost secrecy as Sanchez’s players attempt to find solutions to their inexperience on the global stage.
Spanish newspaper Diario commented that so tight was the security that the squad never left the complex – while Liverpool, preparing for their Champions League final three years ago, at least left the compound to go for a bike ride.
So, pressure is building ahead of the big kick-off and Sanchez (above, right) is predicting that an upset might be on the cards.
He said: “Tough matches await us in the tournament.
“We are facing very strong teams – teams that are used to being in the World Cup.
“But if we display our best, we will be able to compete.”
The results of friendly matches have been tight. While a draw against Chile was commendable, less praiseworthy was a 2-0 defeat to Canada.
However, they do have experience of an Asia Cup win from three years ago when Qatar defeated Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the UAE and Japan to lift the trophy.
And much will depend on strikers Akram Afif and Almoez Ali – a duo who can find the net and are now carrying the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.
It doesn’t bode well for the hosts that their squad is drawn entirely from players who appear in the Qatari Stars League.
There is, then, little international experience and one look at their rivals in Group A does not inspire confidence.
Louis van Gaal leads a resurgent Netherlands. Senegal – who potentially represent Africa’s best chance of advancing deep in the tournament – present another tricky hurdle.
Tomorrow’s opponents Ecuador – who qualified from the South American competition with time to spare – make the chances of an upset appear slim.
But there is confidence, at least on home soil, that Sanchez & Co can pull off an upset.
Broadcaster Ahmed Al Jaber, from bein Sports, said: “I think the Qatari people are expecting something, definitely.
“In 2019, we won the Asian Cup in the UAE. That helped build confidence in the team.
“They have been together since they’ve been young. They’ve grown together with the same coach. They know each other.
“We are expecting to reach the last 16 – and maybe we can go further.”