Host, Qatar, Ecuador Kick off First World Cup in  Middle East

Duro Ikhazuagbe

After 12 years of preparations for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world, history will be made today as the 22nd edition of the tournament kicks off  at the Al Bayt Stadium in Doha with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador.

Before the kick off, Qatar has promised the best of Arab culture in entertaining the over one million football fans that have stormed this peninsula nation in perhaps, the most expensive tournament ever. Over $220billion, almost 20 times what Russia spent four years ago, is believed to have been pumped into the hosting by Qatar.

The global football community will also be glued to television sets to see what will be unraveling at this edition that has drawn so much attention in the build up to the tournament.

Will hosts Qatar be able to keep the tradition of the host nation not defeated in the opening games? It is this legacy of the last 21 editions of the tournament that Qatar will strive to keep alive as they take on Ecuador in this their debut appearance at the mundial.

Led by renowned coach, Felix Sanchez, the Maroons as the Qataris are known by their fans, will hope to make a statement against the more seasoned Ecuadorian national team that are participating in the tournament for the fourth time. 

Sanchez was the first coach to hold a pre-match news conference yesterday ahead of Sunday’s opener against Ecuador.

The Qatar coach was realistic about his side’s ambitions at their first finals, considered Ecuador clear favourites and suggested their Group A rivals may have already written the hosts off. The coach spoke highly of the team’s preparations in the lead-up to the momentous occasion.

“We kept calm. We are in good form. All the players come here with the highest motivation for Sunday. We will try to give a good performance and be competitive.

“We have to be realistic around possibilities, but we have to do well.”

Sanchez believes Qatar are “worthy to be here”, but his realism was reflected in his analysis of a group that contains the Netherlands and Senegal, as well as Ecuador.

“It’s three games, and we know the level of our opponent,” said Sanchez. “Due to their history, their individual talent, their careers where they play, they are ahead of us.

“On paper, they should get the three points. Maybe they count on the three points already.

“But we are here to show we can be a competitive team. We will bring our ‘A game’ and try to get good results that will bring so much joy.”

Fired by the knowledge of six consecutive clean sheets since they held Argentina to a 1-1 stand-still in March, Gustavo Alvaro’s Ecuador men know nothing will gladden the hearts of their traveling fans from South America but the first three points of the 2022 edition of the World Cup in their kitty.