Gotta respect Akram Afif. — Jon Mackenzie (@Jon_Mackenzie) November 20, 2022 Qualifying scenarios Simply put, this game is a must win for both teams. If Qatar lose, they will be automatically eliminated from the tournament, as both Ecuador and Senegal will have at least three points and a match to play against each other. A loss for Senegal is not the end of their chances, but they will need Netherlands vs Ecuador to not be a draw, Qatar to lose to Netherlands in the final game, and then they themselves will need to defeat Ecuador by a massive margin to have a chance.
Qatar vs Sénégal - Coupe du monde de football 2022 - Radio.fr
FIFA World Cup Schedule 2022, qualifiers, Team Names
com/IxtwcI7eZa — Qatar Football Association (@QFA_EN) November 24, 2022 They failed to register a single shot on target, made a number of defensive errors, and were down 2-0 within the first half hour, following which Ecuador went into cruise control mode to round out the win. A significantly better performance will be needed for the hosts on Friday. Sanchez’s side has an unmistakable influence from Spanish football – a number of their players come from Al Sadd, a club that was captained and later managed by Xavi – and despite showing glimpses of those patterns of play, they were not at a competitive level.
For their players, the occasion was a difficult one to deal with. Given the various criticisms regarding the host country, they were under the scanner at a level they are hardly used to, but Qatar’s ability on and off the ball was far off the pace. They were not exactly at World Cup level – the only hosts to have never played at a World Cup finals before – but a better level was expected of the Asian champions. And if they are to trump the African champions, they can take some inspiration from their fellow Asians.
And that is where this Qatar side, capable of playing attractive football with one-touch passing, possession, and positional fluidity, can find joy. Senegal have shown that by playing through their midfield and full- backs, as the Netherlands did on a number of occasions in their 2-0 win over them on Monday, chances can be created. Qatar will need the patterns of play that made their playing style particularly eye-catching during their Asia Cup-winning triumph in 2019, and more importantly, get their forwards Akram Afif and Almoez Ali into play. The duo should not be forced to go wide or drop deep to get involved, better service is required to get the best out of them. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a forward drop into the back line in build-up.
But they could be on their way out – becoming just the second hosts, after South Africa, to be eliminated in the group stage – if they fail to get a result against Senegal on Friday. After a build-up – including behind closed-doors friendlies that were not allowed to be recorded – shrouded in secrecy and intrigue, Felix Sanchez’s side were an unpredictable force coming into the tournament. Their players, however, failed to show up for the occasion in their underwhelming performance in the tournament opener against Ecuador. 🎙 – Selected quotes from the pre-match press conference for our 🇶🇦 national team ahead of tomorrow’s game against Senegal in Round 2 of the #FIFAWorldCup group stage#AllForAlAnnabi #Qatar2022 #AlAnnabi pic. twitter.
Saudi Arabia and Japan registered massive upsets over Argentina and Germany respectively, and their triumphs were built around a high and direct press, a resolute defensive performance, and cutting edge going forward. Against Senegal, Qatar are going up against a direct and vertical team. They also like to come higher up the pitch to pinch the ball and cause transitions, but if that initial press is broken, their structure can be attacked.
Qatar vs Senegal: How to watch live, stream link, team news