Izuchukwu OkosiHosts Qatar will face Ecuador in the opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup which kicks-off at 5pm Nigerian time on Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Controversy has reared its ugly head ever since Qatar were awarded the hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup back in 2010, but on the field, Sanchez Bas and his crop of soon-to-be history-makers have simply tried to give themselves the best possible chance of making it out of Group A.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn the wake of mounting criticisms that trailed the award of the tournament to the hosts, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted that Qatar should not have been given the World Cup rights in the first place.
Qatar, coached by Felix Sanchez Bas, are competing on the biggest international stage for the first time in their history, while the South American nation make their return to the World Cup finals after an eight-year absence.
Ecuador have already appeared at three editions of the competition in 2002, 2006 and 2014, but only once have they progressed beyond the group stages, being eliminated in the last 16 in 2006 which also represents the sole time that they have won their first match of the tournament.
READ ALSO: 2022 FIFA World Cup Team Profiles: Qatar’s Chances Slim Despite Hosting Status
The Group A is the only game of the day and it will be preceded by an opening ceremony where some leading music stars will perform.
On Monday there will be total of three games but the games will become four beginning from Tuesday throughout the group stages.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Nigerian singer, Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, better known by his stage name, Kizz Daniel will perform at the Festival event in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday, November 23.
The final of the 2022 World Cup holds on December 18 which will be the shortest FIFA World Cup tournament in the history of the biggest football showpiece on earth since the first edition in 1930 hosted by Uruguay.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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