| Qatar vs Senegal |
|---|
| SCHEDULE | TIME |
|---|---|
| GAME | Qatar vs Senegal |
| DATE | 25/11/2022 |
| TIME | 06:30 PM (Indian Standard Time) |
| ARENA | Al Thumama Stadium |
| LEAGUE | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
| FULL TIME |
|---|
| Qatar [1-3] Senegal |
Match Preview of Qatar vs Senegal
World Cup hosts Qatar face Senegal in a crucial Group A match at the Al Thumama Stadium on Friday.
Both nations are playing catch-up following opening day defeats at the finals.
Qatar let themselves down massively in their clash with Ecuador on Sunday which kicked off the tournament, falling to a 2-0 loss to the South American side.
Getting thoroughly outplayed by CONMEBOL's weakest qualified side gave a true indication of their stature on the global stage, but luckily for them, they still have time to prove people's perceptions wrong.
However, the facts will say that Qatar are the first host nation in World Cup history to lose their opening fixture.
Not only that, the Maroons are also the first hosts not to have shot on target in a match at the finals since the USA failed to do so in their last 16 defeat to Brazil in 1994.
Manager Felix Sanchez claimed his side were "nervous", and their performance did represent the look of a side who froze on the big occasion.
The fact that they were seemingly incapable of doing the basics such as passing and pressing suggests it was some sort of mentality issue, because this was a side that won the Asian Cup in 2019.
They were top scorers in that competition and repeated the feat at the 2021 Gold Cup which they were invited to take part in, but attacking duo Almoez Ali and Akram Afif were bystanders in the game with Ecuador.
Another poor defeat here will only enhance the arguments against them being hosts in a footballing sense, as they have yet to show themselves as worthy of competing at this level.
Our Predicted Lineups
Qatar possible starting lineup:Barsham; Pedro Miguel, Khoukhi, Salman, A Hassan, Ahmed; Al Haydos, Boudiaf, Hatem; Ali, Afif
Senegal possible starting lineup: starting lineup:Dieng; Sabaly, Koulibaly, Cisse, Diallo; I Gueye, N Mendy; Ndiaye, I Sarr, Diatta, Dia
Who will win the match?
We say: Qatar 0-2 Senegal. Qatar put on a toothless display against the perceived third-best side in the group last weekend, so may struggle even more against a side with bigger stars. Senegal have lacked a scoring touch of late, though, and will hope that dominating possession and creating enough chances will give them the edge.