Pressure on host Qatar to play well in opening game of FIFA World Cup

INA-  sources

Considering the country spent a reported $200 billion to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there is a lot of pressure on the host when they open the tournament Sunday against Ecuador.

Qatar goes into the game denying rumours it had offered bribes to the Ecuadorians to throw the game, taking place at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, just north of the capital city.

“There is a lot of misinformation,” said Qatar head coach Felix Sanchez on Saturday “The internet is a great tool, but it is also very dangerous. No one will be able to destabilise us with these statements. We are not affected at all. We are very happy to be playing in a World Cup tomorrow. We are focused on bringing our A-game and will not take anything else into account.

“The best thing you can do as a team or as a footballer is keep calm and avoid any rumours or noise around you. Obviously, we don’t like people criticising our country but in terms of football, we have had great preparation.”

The host country has never lost an opening match in the history of the tournament. Yet, there has never been a host country this small. All the players on Qatar’s national team play in its domestic league, which concluded the season early in September, to allow the national team members a chance to practice together.

Qatar set up camp in Vienna, Austria and invited teams from all over to come play them, picking up the tab in the process.

Canada was one of those teams invited to Vienna and defeated Qatar 2-0 — a game they could have easily won by five or six goals.

“Obviously, everything we’ve done in the past three years is to have a very competitive team in the World Cup. Every country’s situation is different and we’re a small country,” Sanchez said. “All of our players play in our local league so we decided that one way of strengthening the national team was to take them out of their clubs so they are ready for the national team. It has been a massive sacrifice, we spent a long period of time abroad and away from our families. That shows our commitment.

“Tomorrow is a very important day for us, a historic moment. It will be an extraordinary day like no other. We have made such a huge effort in this country. We are all devoted to this World Cup. I just hope it’s a great party where we can enjoy the football on the pitch and, off it, the whole world can enjoy this experience.”

FIFA PRESIDENT DEFENDS QATAR

Gianni Infantino was fired up in his media availability Saturday on the eve of the opening game, which more resembled a lecture.
FIFA has been under intense scrutiny since awarding the World Cup to Qatar 12 years ago and Infantino defended the move, and also accuse critics in Europe of hypocrisy.

Qatar came under criticism for its treatment of migrant workers who were responsible for building the eight stadiums being used for the tournament, along with all of the country’s infrastructure. There were reports thousands of workers had died before labour reforms were put in place in the country.


“I’m a son of migrant workers, my parents were working very, very hard and in very, very difficult conditions; not in Qatar, in Switzerland,” Infantino said. “I remember very well — and I’m not 150 years old and I’m not speaking about Apartheid in South Africa — where the migrant workers were living, how they were living, what rights they had or didn’t have.

“I remember as a child how migrant workers were treated when they wanted to enter the country to look for work, at the border. I remember what happened with their passports, with their medical cheques, with their accommodation. And when I came to Doha, the first time I was elected FIFA president, I went to see some of these migrant workers and I was brought back to my childhood.”

Infantino said Switzerland has become an example of labour rights and inclusion and Qatar has made progress as well.

“We are taught many lessons from Europeans, from the Western world,” he said. “What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”

Infantino also addressed the last-minute decision to ban alcohol at the stadiums during games, after major sponsor Budweiser had already shipped its product to Qatar.

Alcohol is not allowed in many stadiums in Europe and North America due to safety concerns, and in Qatar is it due to cultural practices.
“If this is the biggest issue we have, I’ll sign that immediately and then go to the beach and relax until the 18th of December (World Cup Final),” Infantino said. “We tried until the end to see whether it was possible. If for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive. Maybe there is a reason why in France, in Spain, in Scotland, where no beer is allowed in stadiums.”

BENZEMA INJURED
Note to Canada head coach John Herdman; it’s important not to rush a star player back in the lineup.

On Saturday, Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema of France left training injured and could be out of the tournament. The Real Madrid striker has been dealing with a thigh injury, which had limited his time on the field leading into Qatar.

Canadian star winger Alphonso Davies injured his hamstring two weeks ago playing with Bayern Munich.

Benzema, 34, was instrumental in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League victory last spring. He was not a member of France’s World Cup winning team four years ago in Russia.


source: windsor star