DOHA: The preparation for Qatar finally ends on Sunday when the team begin their World Cup campaign. The match against Ecuador in front of 60,000 fans is not only their first ever at the tournament, but also the biggest game in the country’s history.
It is crucial to their chances of making it out of Group A, with African champions Senegal and then the Netherlands to come.
However, there is a team from whom Qatar can take inspiration. Back in 1994, Saudi Arabia made their debut and shocked the world by getting to the last 16, thanks to a 2-1 win over Morocco and a memorable victory against Belgium in Washington, courtesy of a classic goal from Saeed Al-Owairan that took his team to a last-16 clash with Sweden.
The Green Falcons lost their opening game against the Netherlands in 1994 and bounced back to win the next two to go through, but it is hard to see Qatar managing to do the same if they crash to defeat against Ecuador, a side widely seen as the weakest of the three opponents that the hosts will face.