Thirty-two teams — the only debutante being the host country — have hopes as the 22nd edition of the world’s biggest one-sport competition gets underway in Qatar. Some of the teams have high hopes in the peninsular Arab country, some others have contained hope, while yet another group bear unrealistic expectations. With stars ready to shine, and some others missing in action due to injury and other factors, Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will kickoff at 7 pm local time (5 pm WAT) at the 60,000 capacity Al Bayt Stadium. It’s a retractable roof football stadium in Al Khor.
The last time Nigerian fans watched the FIFA World Cup without their team featuring was four editions ago, hosted by Germany — and won by Italy — in 2006. The Super Eagles were undone in the last phase of the African qualifiers by Angola. For Qatar 2022, Nigeria succumbed to the sub-regional rivals, Ghana.
Defending champions France are among the realistic contenders expected to go all the way, playing seven matches to appear in the final or the third placed match. In Group D, France will contest for knockout ticket with Tunisia, Australia and Denmark without their biggest star, Karim Benzema. The Real Madrid striker won the prestigious Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) award deservedly in October after a splendid season with his club, but left the French training session on Saturday after feeling pain in his thigh. Verdict from an MRI in a Doha hospital is that Benzema required three weeks to recover! Qatar 2022 will be at the semifinal phase then.
Current No 1 in the world, Brazil have never missed any World Cup finals, and have the most title — five — but the Seleção last lifted the trophy in 2002 in Korea/Japan. Just as France have Tunisia in their group, Neymar and company have another African team — Cameroon — to contend with in Group G; others being Serbia and Switzerland. The easiest of prediction is that the samba boys will fly out of this group.
Germany — four-time winners, including as recent as 2014 — have suffered reverses and are ranked No 11, which explains why the team aren’t seeded and had to be paired with 2010 champions Spain in Group E. Also in the group are Costa Rica and Japan.
Africa is in Qatar with Senegal and Morocco, in addition to Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon. Sadly, Sadio Mané will be unavailable for Senegal on account of injury. The reigning African player of the year, who led the Teranga Lions to their first African title in Cameroon last February, has been ruled out of Qatar 2022 by his right fibula.
Big stars, big setbacks has been pre-World Cup nightmare. In Korea/Japan 2002, it was David Beckham and his second metatarsal, and in 2010 it was Didier Drogba and his broken elbow shoulder. Colombia’s Radamel Falcao and his left knee in Brazil 2014, and Mohamed Sallah of Egypt and his dislocated shoulder in France 2018. And in 2022, it is Mané and his right fibula.
The superstar forward suffered the injury in Bayern Munich’s 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen last week. It was crushing news for the player, for Senegal, and for a broader African continent, for whom the Africa Cup of Nations holders this year had arguably represented a golden opportunity to break the glass ceiling and reach an unprecedented semifinal.
Once again, Africa’s reigning Footballer of the Year has been denied a run at the tournament, and indeed, perhaps never before have an African team and player enjoyed such excellent conditions to make a major impact on the World Cup.
The Teranga Lions of Senegal are a settled squad, overseen by Aliou Cisse since 2015, and they’re not affected by the last-minute managerial changes or inappropriate coaching reshuffles that undermined previous African contenders such as Nigeria in 1998 or the the Ivorien Golden Generation on several occasions.
Cisse has imbued the squad with unity, with personality, and with an appreciated and recognised style of play; everyone knows their roles, everyone understands the brief, and everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves for the collective.
The ease at which new arrivals integrate into the fold is testament to the ethos that Cisse has established within the camp, and Senegal boast the kind of organised, controversy-free structure that African selections haven’t always enjoyed when approaching the tournament.
A strong defence is nearly always a critical component required for a deep run in the World Cup, and Senegal certainly have this — with a workaholic and combative midfield protecting a stout defensive unit that contains Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly.
Both may have had their troubles at Chelsea in recent months, but they’re arguably the best in their position in Africa, considered world class by some, and — at 30 and 31 respectively — are in their prime.
Senegal conceded just twice en route to the Nations Cup title earlier this year, went 206 minutes without conceding in the playoff against Salah’s Egypt, and that backline has only been upgraded since then with the addition of Fode Ballo-Toure and the return of Youssouf Sabaly.
Opening match: Group A Qatar v Ecuador (5 pm WAT)
Monday: Group B: England v Iran (2 pm), Group A: Senegal v Netherlands (5 pm), Group B: United States v Wales (8 pm)
Additional report: ESPN
