International Football
Can Qatar sustain World Cup hosts’ opening match tradition?
A World Cup like no other one kicks off this Sunday as Qatar hosts Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium. It is a departure from the past as it is the first ever World Cup in Arab world and also the first one to hold outside the traditional June-July calendar.
Qatar have also become the first host country debatants since that of Italy in 1934.
With the World Cup entering its 22nd edition, no host country has ever lost the opening match. Sixteen past host nations have won their matches while the other six, including South Africa in 2010.
Will Qatar sustain the tradition? The events at the sumptuous Al Bayt Stadium will offer answers.
The last time a host country failed to score in the opening match was in 1970 when Mexico played 0-0 with the then Soviet Union.
Going into the World Cup as hosts, Qatar won all three of their group stage matches at the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 this time last year.
But they have a mountain to climb in Ecuador who are no strangers in the World Cup. They had featured thrice before in the World Cup and are facing an Asian country for the first time ever.
But outside the World Cup frame, both Qatar and Ecuador had met three times in the past. Both won a game apiece and drew one.
At their last meeting four years ago, Qatar triumphed 4-3 in the friendly match. But Ecuador have lost only one of their 15 international matches, five of which were won while nine ended in draw.
Enner Valencia scored all of Ecuador’s three goals on their last FIFA World Cup appearance in 2014. He is their joint top-scorer at the tournament with Agustín Delgado, who scored two goals in 2006 and one in 2002
Qatar team facts
FIFA World Cup team records
Overall record: No previous match
Ecuador team facts
FIFA World Cup team records
- Overall record: P: 10 Win: 4; Draw: 1; Lost: 5; Goals For: 10; Goals Against : 11 Biggest win: 3-0 Ecuador vs Costa Rica (15/06/2006)
- Biggest defeat: 0-3 Ecuador vs Germany (20/06/2006)
- Highest scoring draw: 0-0 Ecuador vs France (25/06/2014)
- Highest scoring match: 3 goals – 5 times
- Most goals scored in a match: 3 goals – Ecuador 3-0 Costa Rica (15/06/2006)
- Most goals conceded in a match: 3 goals – Ecuador 0-3 Germany (20/06/2006)
- Most goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 5 – 2006 (4 matches)
- Fewest goals scored at a FIFA World Cup: 2 – 2002 (2 matches)
- Most goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 4 – 2006 (4 matches), 2002 (3 matches)
- Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA World Cup: 3 – 2014 (3 matches)
FIFA World Cup streaks
- Successive wins: 3 (2002-2006)
- Successive defeats: 3 (2006-2014)
- Successive draws: 1 (2014-ongoing)
- Successive matches without a defeat: 3 (2002-2006)
- Successive matches without a win: 3 (2006-2014)
- Successive matches with a goal scored: 4 (2002-2006)
- Successive matches without scoring: 2 (2006)
- Successive clean sheets: 3 (2002-2006)
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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