Ghana’s opponent for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Uruguay has travelled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The South American national team has arrived in Abu Dhabi where it will spend one week preparing for the start of the world cup.
The Uruguay side under head coach Diego Alonso has been training since October 31st to ensure the team prepares very well for the challenge ahead.
Although the national team is yet to have a full squad in camp, training has so far been good.
Veteran players Diego Godin and Luis Suarez are among the top stars in camp and will be joined by all other players included in the final 26-man squad this weekend.
At the world cup, Uruguay will not only face off with Ghana in Group H but will also compete with Portugal and South Korea in a bid to qualify for the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Black Stars will also open camp in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
The national team of the West African country is scheduled to play a friendly match with Switzerland before moving to their base in Qatar for the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
✈️ 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐨́𝐧 𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚́𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨
La delegación, con cuerpo técnico, dirigentes y staff, parte desde Uruguay con destino Abu Dabi.
Ghana’s 2022 World Cup opponent, Uruguay, have named their final 26-man squad for the upcoming mundial to be staged in Qatar.
The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled between November and December, where 32 countries will battle it out for the covetous trophy.
With 10 days to the start of the biggest soccer mundial in Qatar, all 32 qualified countries have unveiling their squad.
Today, Uruguay boss Diego Alonso has summoned 26 players to go for the kill for the South American giants.
The South American giants has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
Uruguay will open their account against South Korea before taking on Ghana and Portugal respectively.
Barcelona centre-back, Ronald Araujo, who was said to be a major doubt for the tournament due to an adductor longus avulsion injury in his right thigh, made the list, which was released on Thursday.
Other key players included in the final list are Luis Suarez, Edison Cavani, Darwin Nunez, and in-form Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde were all named in the big squad.
Uruguay has now become the first team in Group H to release their final squad list for the tournament.
But as the lesbian couple learned more about laws on same-sex relations in the conservative Gulf country, the plans no longer sounded like a good idea. Instead, Niño de Rivera proposed at an Amsterdam stadium this summer and opted to skip the World Cup altogether.
“As a lesbian woman, it’s really hard for me to feel and think that we are going to a country where we don’t know what could happen and how we could be safe,” she said. “It was a really hard decision.”
Niño de Rivera’s concerns are shared by many LGBTQ soccer fans and their allies worldwide. Some have been mulling whether to attend the tournament, or even watch it on television.
Qatar’s laws against gay sex and treatment of LGBTQ people are flashpoints in the run-up to the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, or in any Arab or Muslim country. Qatar has said all are welcome, including LGBTQ fans, but that visitors should respect the nation’s culture, in which public displays of affection by anyone are frowned on. With his country facing criticism over a number of issues, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently argued it “has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign” that no host country has ever faced.
An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, however, has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF. Aired this week, the comments by former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman highlighted concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of gays and lesbians.
Some LGBTQ rights activists are seizing the moment to draw attention, with a heightened sense of urgency, to the conditions of LGBTQ citizens and residents in Qatar. They want to raise concerns about how these people may be treated after the tournament ends and the international spotlight fades.
Dario Minden, who is from Germany, said he’s keen on soccer but won’t watch a single minute of the tournament as a show of solidarity with LGBTQ people in Qatar. Recently, he jumped at the opportunity to lobby for change.
At a human rights congress hosted by the German soccer federation in Frankfurt, Minden told the Qatari ambassador to Germany that Qatar should abolish its penalties for homosexuality.
“I happen to be a gay football fan and I thought that this is a great opportunity to … speak in front of such a high representative, to connect the topic with a face,” Minden said in an interview.
Rasha Younes, LGBTQ rights senior researcher in the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, said that while Qatari officials have offered some reassurances for LGBTQ fans, the possibility of stigma and discrimination remained in housing, access to health care and safely reporting potential sexual violence.
At the same time, she argued, “suggestions that Qatar should make an exception for outsiders are implicit reminders that Qatari authorities do not believe that its LGBT residents deserve basic rights or exist,” adding her organization was concerned about conditions for local LGBTQ people, including after the tournament.
Qatari law calls for a prison sentence of one to three years for whoever is “instigating” or “seducing” a male to “commit sodomy,” as well as for “inducing or seducing a male or a female in any way to commit illegal or immoral actions.”
In the run-up to the World Cup, Qatari security forces have been accused of mistreating LGBTQ people. In a statement, the Qatari government has denied those allegations: “Qatar does not tolerate discrimination against anyone, and our policies and procedures are underpinned by a commitment to human rights for all.”
Dr. Nasser Mohamed, an openly gay Qatari activist who now lives in the United States, is among those saying that international attention is disproportionately focused on visitors and not enough on LGBTQ people in Qatar. He publicly came out and has been lobbying to expand the conversation before the World Cup.
“Being in a country that has no LGBT visibility, no conversations about what it’s like to be an LGBT person, made me feel like there’s something wrong with me,” he said in an interview. With the current intense public debates, “I feel like there is a moment of urgency to…put something out there now to actually let people know that we’re not OK.”
Josie Nixon of the You Can Play Project, which advocates for LGBTQ people in sports, said the group was part of a coalition of LGBTQ rights organizations that made demands of FIFA and the Qatari organizers. These included repealing laws targeting LGBTQ people, providing “explicit safety guarantees” against harassment, arrest or detention, and working to ensure the long-term safety of LGBTQ people in the region.
“FIFA and Qatar have taken steps to make sure that LGBTQ fans are safe, but is that enough to change the way Qatar views LGBTQ citizens?” said Nixon, who lives in Colorado. “My answer is no.”
Even before the tournament kicks off, questions about what legacy it would leave behind loomed large amid intense international scrutiny over Qatar’s human rights record, including treatment of migrant workers. As the World Cup neared, Qatari officials sounded increasingly frustrated, saying their country’s achievements and progress were being overlooked and that the attacks raise questions about the motive behind them.
“Qatar believes strongly in the power of sport to bring people together and build bridges of cultural understanding,” the Qatari government said in a statement to The Associated Press in response to questions. “The World Cup can help change misconceptions, and we want fans to travel home with a better understanding of our country, culture and region. We believe this tournament … can show that people of different nationalities, religions and backgrounds in fact have more in common than they think.”
The statement added that Qatar is a country of “warm hospitality” and will continue to ensure the safety of all “regardless of background.”
FIFA’s top officials have recently urged the teams preparing for the World Cup to focus on soccer and avoid letting the game be dragged into ideological or political battles. The officials did not address or identify any specific issue in their message, which angered some human rights activists.
In soccer-crazy Argentina, Juan Pablo Morino, president of the group Gays Passionate About Soccer said he was dismayed by FIFA’s decision to organize the World Cup in Qatar.
“In the election of a host, basic parameters of coexistence should be met. It cannot be that any country is a candidate,” he said.
In Mexico, Niño de Rivera said she would be supporting her fiancée, who will attend the tournament for work, from afar. That makes her sad.
The decision to sit out the World Cup “has to do with being true to your own values and bringing a lot of money to a country where you’re not welcome because of your sexual orientation,” she said. She was scared that if they went as a couple, they might have been harassed or worse while having dinner or walking back to the hotel.
“The World Cup is normally an event that brings people together, where it doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re from… what religion you have; It doesn’t matter what community you belong to,” she said. “We all speak the same language. We all speak football.”
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows the Fan Village in Doha, Qatar, Oct. 16, 2022. Qatar on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, unveiled a 6,000-cabin fan village in an isolated lot near its airports, an offering for housing toward the lower end of what’s available for the upcoming World Cup just days away from starting.
Qatar on Wednesday unveiled a 6,000-cabin fan village in an isolated lot near its airports, an offering for housing toward the lower end of what’s available for the upcoming World Cup just days away from starting.
As journalists toured the cabins, desert winds kicked up sand at the 3.1 square-kilometer (1.1 square-mile) site, which housed a metro station, a bus stop, and a planned temporary restaurant and convenience store. The area could in theory hold as many as 12,000 people if booked at capacity, officials said.
Artificial green grass coveredare the walkways outside, with common areas filled with large bean-bag style chairs under a gray sky Wednesday. Competing nations’ flags flapped in the strong desert wind, a large screen also present at the site for fans to watch matches. Workers milled about the site, checking on its final touches.
The brightly colored cabins, each with thin walls, are designed to hold one or two people with twin beds, a nightstand, a small table and chair, air conditioning, a toilet and a shower inside.
Each will go for around $200 a night — $270 with board — as the tournament goes on. Some 60% of the cabins are already booked for the tournament, said Omar al-Jaber, the head of accommodation at Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy for the tournament.
There will be other rooms offered at $80 a night farther out than this site near Doha International Airport and Hamad International Airport, both of which will be seeing flights at all hours during the tournament. Planes rumbled overhead during the visit Wednesday.
Those staying at the Fan Village can expect a 40-minute commute to stadium sites.
“Most of the fan(s) they prefer if it’s not a hotel, they prefer the apartment and villa,” al-Jaber said, noting those options are managed by French hospitality company Accor. However, those wanting budget accommodation will come to this site and the other for cheaper options, he said.
In the lead-up to the tournament, concerns about hotel room space and high prices for the rooms available have trailed Qatar, which lacks hotel capacity for all teams, workers, volunteers and fans at the World Cup. So Doha has created camping and cabin sites, hiring cruise ships, and encouraging fans to stay in neighboring countries and fly in for games.
Qatar has estimated it will have 130,000 rooms per day for the tournament.
Already, nearby Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has planned for an influx of World Cup fans who want to stay there where their money may go further.
“Now, the shuttle flights option, it’s one of the options for the people who stay already in our neighbor countries and … they would like to just to spend a day for to attend the match,” al-Jaber said. “So this is a good option for them in a state of their case.”
He added: “If they would like to come and stay, they are more than welcome, of course, and there is a many, many options for them.”
There are still multiple options available for fans in Qatar available to rent, ranging from hotels, cruise ship rooms, traditional dhow sailing vessels and tents, the fan village, porta cabins and caravans. al-Jaber said.
“We have enough accommodation and people still they can come and enjoy the tournament and of course they can choose what they are looking for from the accommodation,” he said.
An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF only two weeks before the opening of the soccer tournament in the Gulf state, highlighting concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of gays and lesbians.
Former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman told a German reporter in an interview that being gay is “haram,” or forbidden in Arabic, and that he has a problem with children seeing gay people.
Excerpts of the television interview were shown Monday on the ZDF news program Heute Journal. The full interview, which is part of a documentary, will be shown Tuesday on ZDF.
Germany’s interior minister condemned Salman’s remarks.
“Of course such comments are terrible, and that is the reason why we are working on things in Qatar hopefully improving,” Nancy Faeser said Tuesday.
About 1.2 million international visitors are expected in Qatar for the tournament, which has faced criticism and skepticism ever since the gas-rich emirate was selected as host by FIFA in December 2010. Concerns about LGBTQ tourists attending the World Cup have also been expressed for a long time.
In the interview, Salman also said that homosexuality “is a spiritual harm.”
“During the World Cup, many things will come here to the country. Let’s talk about gays,” Salman said in English, which is simultaneously dubbed into German in the TV segment. “The most important thing is, everybody will accept that they come here. But they will have to accept our rules.”
The interview was cut short by a media officer of the World Cup organizing committee after Salman expressed his views on homosexuals, ZDF reported.
Faeser, who is also responsible for sports, said when she visited Qatar a week ago that the country’s prime minister had given her a “safety guarantee” for fans “no matter where they come from, whom they love and what they believe in.”
Faeser said there has been no change to that stance from the prime minister, who is also Qatar’s interior minister. She plans to go ahead with a trip to Germany’s opening World Cup match against Japan.
Last month, Germany’s ambassador to Qatar was summoned by the government there after Faeser appeared to criticize the country for its human rights record.
In Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price called the remarks by the Qatari official a “great concern.”
Ghana’s ambassador in Doha, Mohamed Noureddine Ismail has praised Qatar for being a hospitable country with a lot of good values.
Speaking to QNA, the Ghana ambassador also applauded Qatar for putting in a lot of effort to host a successful 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“What draws attention and is taken into consideration is the huge infrastructure implemented by Qatar to host the tournament for the first time in the Arab region and the Middle East, including, for example, international stadiums, hotels, apartments, road networks, as well as the hospitality industry, which in turn confirmed its readiness to receive over 2mn guests expected to visit Doha during the World Cup.
“I have found Qataris to be warm and loving people, who believe in respect, trust, and friendship,” Mohamed Noureddine Ismail said in the interview.
He further indicated that he is confident Ghana will excel at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to go far in the tournament.
“Ghanaian players are prepared to go beyond the group stage and if possible, to the semi and final stage,” Ghana’s Ambassador to Qatar shared.
Erling Haaland, a striker from Norway, will support the Senegal national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, one of the five qualified African nations.
The Manchester City goal machine described Senegal as having a formidable team in an interview with SuperSportTV.
Confident about the quality of the players of the Teranga Lions, Haaland is backing the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Champions to do well at this year’s global tournament.
“I think Senegal will do really well.
“They are a strong team and they have so many strong players. So I think Senegal will do the best out of those,” Erling Haaland shared.
Besides Senegal, other African countries that qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup include Cameroon, Ghana, Tunisia, as well as Morocco.
The upcoming tournament is scheduled to kick start in Qatar on November 20.
South American football confederation CONMEBOL has backed FIFA and called for participating nations to “leave controversies behind” ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
The decision to stage the World Cupin Qatar has attracted renewed criticism on the eve of the tournament, with critics focusing on the host country’s criminalisation of same-sex relationships and the conditions faced by migrant workers.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura recently wrote to all 32 nations participating in Qatar, requesting they “focus on the football”.
That letter led Amnesty International to accuse organisers of brushing human rights concerns “under the carpet”, while a UEFA working group of 10 European nations responded by stressing the need to “support human rights”.
CONMEBOL issued a statement of its own on Monday, outlining a belief in the need for “unity in support” of the tournament.
“CONMEBOL and its 10 member associations join the call for world football unity in support of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” the statement began.
“A country eager to show its hospitality and warmth, magnificent sports venues and 32 prepared teams with their greatest potential, ensure a tournament that will undoubtedly go down in history.
La Copa del Mundo FIFA Catar 2022 es la mejor oportunidad de consolidar los valores en los que se funda el fútbol. Por su alcance, por su prestigio y tradición, la Copa del Mundo multiplica el impacto positivo.#CreeEnGrandehttps://t.co/HBEWbwFbRM
“As few times in history, human society today needs the powerful message of sport in general and football, the most popular of them, in particular.
“This message is powerful because it is universal, it goes far beyond political or ideological disputes, temporary disagreements and occasional confrontations. It is a message full of optimism, tolerance, inclusion, diversity, union.
“The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the best opportunity to consolidate the values on which football is founded.
“This is especially so in the new generations, in girls, boys and young people, who hope and seek that football is not tarnished or distorted with biased or partial visions.
“The time has come to leave controversies behind and value and enjoy a true all-embracing party, eagerly awaited by the entire planet.”
Dani Alves will become Brazil’s oldest World Cup star after earning a recall for Qatar 2022, while Roberto Firmino has missed out on Tite’s final squad, with Gabriel Martinelli preferred.
Alves is now 39 and made his international debut in 2006, but he is heading to his third World Cup this year.
The former Barcelona right-back will make Selecao history, with Djalma Santos – 37 at the 1966 World Cup – previously their oldest player at a finals.
“I didn’t come here to please people on Twitter, which I don’t even know what percentage of the Brazilian people represents,” the coach said.
“I respect differing opinions and I’m not here to convince everyone. I just want to give information so that people democratically form their own opinion.
“Now, everyone has their opinion and everyone has my respect.”
3.5 – Dani Alves created 3.5 chances per game in the Liga MX this season, the most of any player in the tournament. Meritocracy. pic.twitter.com/jsysnmtm8T
Alves’ inclusion was the standout news from Tite’s squad announcement on Monday, although the coach also had a big call to make in attack.
Arsenal pair Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus each made the cut, but Liverpool’s Firmino did not due to the wealth of alternative options at Tite’s disposal.
Firmino does not return after being named in the Brazil squad at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, although nine members of that group are included again.
Alisson and Ederson remain among the goalkeepers, while defenders Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Danilo all return.
Manchester United pair Fred and Casemiro are unsurprising choices in midfield, as Neymar again joins Jesus up front amid a sensational season with Paris Saint-Germain.
Brazil World Cup squad in full:
Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City), Weverton (Palmeiras); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Alex Telles (Sevilla), Bremer (Juventus), Dani Alves (UNAM), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Chelsea); Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Casemiro (Manchester United), Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Fabinho (Liverpool), Fred (Manchester United), Lucas Paqueta (West Ham); Antony (Manchester United), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedro (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Richarlison (Tottenham), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).
Prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Mustapha Ussif, the minister of youth and sports, has passionately urged Ghanaians to support the Black Stars.
The West African nation will be participating in the World Cup for the fourth time after being unable to attend the most recent edition, which was held in Russia in 2018.
Ussif claimed that the team’s training was proceeding in accordance with a plan created by the government and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to guarantee the team’s best performance.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Yagaba-Kubori Constituency in the North East Region also said Ghanaians needed to contribute financially via Mobile Money donation to cushion the team and motivate them to achieve success in Qatar.
Black Stars have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
The team will open camp on November 10 in Abu Dhabi. Otto Addo, who is the head coach of the side will name his final 26-man squad on November 14.
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an international friendly on November 17, before traveling to Qatar for the World Cup on November 19.
Former communications director for the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Ibrahim Sannie Daara has suggested that Richard Ofori, not Jojo Wollacott, should be the Black Stars’ first-choice goalkeeper going into the 2022 World Cup.
The Orlando Pirates goalie has lost his position to Wollacott for the past months.
With less than two weeks to the start of the Mundial in Qatar, Sannie Daara speaking in an interview said Wollacott is a good goalkeeper but Ofori’s experience cannot be overlooked, adding that the former Wa All Stars goalkeeper must be the first choice.
“We have a very good team but my only challenge is with the goalkeeping department,” he told Asempa FM.
“Wollacott has been impressive so far but I think Richard Ofori comes with experience that will help the team.
“In 2010, Richard Kingson’s helped the team to go far and the same must happen going to Qatar,” he added.
Both Ofori and Wollacott have been named in the Black Stars provisional squad for the tournament with the final 26-man squad expected to be named on November 14.
Ghana will officially open camp on November 10 in Abu Dhabi. The Black Stars will take on Switzerland on November 17.
The West African country has been housed in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Ghana legend, Abubakari Damba has tipped Joseph Luke Wollacott to keep the post as the first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Charlton Athletic goalie has been the first-choice goalkeeper for the senior national team for the past year.
Richard Ofori, Lawrence Ati Zigi, Danlad Ibrahim, and Abdul Manaf Nuudeen have been relegated to the bench.
In an interview with GNA sports, the former goalie explained that based on his consistent appearance for the team in recent times, he stands the best chance to be offered the number one spot.
He said, though football was a game of uncertainties, players were selected based on reliability, consistency, trustworthiness, and physical fitness, adding that Wollacot had all the qualities outlined ahead of his colleagues.
“We played the qualifiers and had one goalkeeper who had shown consistencies throughout, that is Jojo Wollacott the most used among all the keepers so far, all things being equal he might be the first choice,” he stated.
He argued that Ghana currently does not have goalkeepers playing at top European clubs as compared to other countries, but noted that, the country must manage what was at their disposal.
“One of our challenges is that we don’t have goalkeepers who are very gifted in the team in as much as we would not be satisfied with their performances because of comparisons.
“We see other goalkeepers playing for their clubs and their nations performing well so we do comparisons but I’m very positive that we can do well,” he stated.
The Black Stars have been paired in Group H with Portugal, Uruguay, and South Korea.
Otto Addo will name his final 26-man squad for the tournament on November 14.
The team would open camp on November 17, before heading to Qatar on November 19.
Former Kotoko midfielder Salifu Mudasiruhas been handed his maiden Black Stars call-up ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Mudasiru has been one of the consistent performers for FC Sheriff Tiraspol this season, featuring in 21 games.
He put up a Man of the Match performance against Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League.
The 25-year-old will hope to make the final squad when the list is whittled down to 26 for the tournament which is scheduled for Qatar from November 20 – December 18, 2022.
Black Stars make a return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia and have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
Ghana is returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018, where France emerged as winners.
With sixteen days to the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, countries that have qualified for the mundial have stepped up their preparation.
Ghana has been housed in Group H at the mundial against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
The Black Stars will open their World Cup account against Portugal on November 24 before taking on Uruguay and South Korea respectively.
The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled for November and December this year, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in Qatar.
Ahead of the tournament, the West African powerhouse has assembled a solid technical team to steer affairs for the national team as they seek to make impact in the Asian country.
Ghana’s Sports Minister, Ussif Mustapha, updating parliament on the Black Stars preparations for the tournament disclosed the technical team.
Otto Addo will serve as the head coach with George Boateng and Didi Dramani as the assistant coaches respectively.
Meanwhile, Irish-Ghanaian Chris Hughton will serve as the technical advisor to the team at the World Cup.
Below is the Black Stars technical team for the World Cup:
Fifa has written to all 32 teams competing at the World Cup telling them to “now focus on the football” following a controversial build-up.
Host Qatar has been criticised for its stance on same-sex relationships, its human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers.
The tournament starts on 20 November.
The letter urges that football should not be “dragged” into ideological or political “battles” and it should not be “handing out moral lessons”.
Peaceful protests have been planned by some players.
England’s Harry Kane and nine other captains of European teams will be wearing ‘One Love’ armbands.
‘Whatever we do, it won’t be enough’ – Jordan Henderson speaks to 5 Live Breakfast about Qatar World Cup concerns
Denmark will wear “toned-down” shirts to protest against Qatar, with kit provider Hummel saying it “does not wish to be visible” in a tournament it claims “has cost thousands of lives”.
Australia’s squad have released a video urging Qatar to abolish its laws on same-sex relationships.
Paris, and other French cities, are refusing to screen matches in public areas, despite France being the defending champions.
The letter, signed by Fifa president Gianni Infantino and secretary general Fatma Samoura and seen by the BBC, reads: “We know football does not live in a vacuum and we are equally aware that there are many challenges and difficulties of a political nature all around the world.
“But please do not allow football to be dragged into every ideological or political battle that exists.
It adds: “At Fifa, we try to respect all opinions and beliefs, without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the world. No one people or culture or nation is “better” than any other. This principle is the very foundation stone of mutual respect and non-discrimination.
“And this is also one of the core values of football. So, please let’s all remember that and let football take centre stage.
“We have the unique occasion and opportunity to welcome and embrace everyone, regardless of origin, background, religion, gender, sexual orientation or nationality.”
MPs call on Southgate and Kane to act over Iran
The England team has been asked to consider making a “display or gesture of solidarity with Iranian women fighting for their civil liberties” when the two countries meet in their opening match at the World Cup on 21 November.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson, has written to coach Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane telling them such a move would be “hugely meaningful in raising awareness about the Iranian government’s condemnable actions”.
In a letter also signed by Lib Dems sport spokesman Jamie Stone and seen by the BBC, it states that such an action would also “likely be seen by those who are putting their lives on the line in protest, which could be invaluable”.
Protests and unrest in Iran have been sparked by the death on 16 September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who fell into a coma after being arrested by morality police in Tehran for allegedly violating Iran’s strict rules requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf.
There were reports that officers beat her head with a baton. The police said she suffered a heart attack.
Iranian football and sports personalities and human rights group Open Stadiums have previously requested that Fifa ban the Iranian national team.
The BBC has contacted the Football Association for comment.
We try to help as much as we can – Henderson
Speaking this week, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said it was “not fair” to expect players to make political statements or protests at the tournament.
England midfielder Jordan Henderson said on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: “A lot gets put on players on ‘should the World Cup be played there?’ and everything that goes with that, but the players don’t decide where the World Cup is played.
“Fifa decides that and that is a question for them to answer. For us as players we just play football and try to have a voice in certain ways to help as much as we can.”
He added: “We do little things like that to try and show people we are all one, we are all inclusive and that is why that campaign [Kane’s armband] was brought to light.
“If you do the right things, that is most important. Unless everyone is just notgoing to turn up, then no matter what people say it is never going to be enough.”
England’s Beth Mead said on Thursday it is “disappointing” the tournament is being held in Qatar. Mead, who is openly gay, does not think the Gulf state is the “right place” for the tournament to be staged.
A controversial build-up
Other off-the-field issues include Russia being banned by Fifa after the country’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the Ukrainian FA has called for Iran to be banned from the World Cup for “systematic human rights violations”. It believes a crackdown on protests in the country “may violate the principles and norms” of Fifa.
The World Cup has been moved to the northern hemisphere winter for the first time in its 92-year history. Qatar initially proposed to host the finals during the summer in air-conditioned enclosed stadiums, but the plan was rejected.
Qatar’s World Cup organisers state “everyone is welcome” to visit the country to watch the football, and that no-one will be discriminated against.
ll as an airport, roads and about 100 hotels. Qatar’s government says 30,000 foreign labourers have been hired just to build the stadiums, with most coming from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and the Philippines.
Human rights groups have complained about the treatment of foreign labourers in Qatar, and the number who have died there.
In February 2021, the Guardian said 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar since it won its World Cup bid in 2010.
The number is based on figures provided by the countries’ embassies in Qatar.
However, the Qatar government said the total was misleading, because not all the deaths recorded were of people working on World Cup-related projects.
The government said its accident records showed that between 2014 and 2020, there were 37 deaths among labourers at World Cup stadium construction sites, only three of which were “work-related”.
BBC Arabic has gathered evidence which suggests Qatar’s government has under-reported deaths among foreign labourers.
England’s Football Association has backed calls for compensation to be awarded for “any injury or death related to any construction project” for the World Cup.
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director of Human Rights Watch, called the Fifa letter “nothing short of appalling”, while Amnesty International’s Felix Jakens told BBC Radio 5 Live: “There’s never been a right time to talk about human rights issues in Qatar as far as they [Fifa] are concerned.
“Now is the time to apply pressure on these issues. Once the World Cup rollsout of town, are we still going to be having conversations about Qatar? I don’t think we are.”
Former Ghana captain John Mensah has charged the Black Stars players to be mentally strong ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Black Stars is returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018, where France emerged as winners.
“They have to prepare their mind well because in every tournament, the first game is very important. If you get the morale from the first game with a win, it keeps the team morale high so that they can go on well”
“They have to stay together as a team, fight together and I believe they can achieve for themselves and as a nation at large”
Ghana has been paired against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea in Group H.
The biggest soccer mundial will be staged in Qatar between November and December with 32 countries set to battle it out for the ultimate.
The Black Stars will tackle Portugal in the opening game of the Group before facing Asian and South American giants South Korea and Uruguay respectively.
Black Stars of Ghana will hold their training sessions at Aspire Zone, also known as Doha Sports City in Baaya district of Doha during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Stars will also camp in Double Tree by Hilton Doha, which is located in Doha, City Centre.
Coach Otto Addo’s side will wrap up preparations for the global showpiece with a friendly game against Switzerland before their opening match.
This will be the first time both sides will be meeting. The game will take place on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at the Baniyas Club Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Black Stars make a return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia and have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game in Group H on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18, 2022.
Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, says his Ministry will do everything possible to make Black Stars’ journey to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar a successful one.
Black Stars make a return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia and have been drawn in Group H alongside Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
“We are doing everything that is possible to make our campaign and the journey to the World Cup successful. We have learnt from our mistakes and we don’t want this Qatar [trip] to be anything bad,” Mustapha Ussif said as quoted by Citi Sports.
“We want to ensure that we go to Doha and come back home successfully, without any problem.”
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
Tema Youth President Wilfred Osei Kwaku Palmer has predicted doom for the Black Stars ahead of the 20222 World Cup in Qatar.
Ghana has been housed in Group H against Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea.
The West African powerhouse who are returning to the global showpiece after missing out in Russia 2018 will begin their campaign against Portugal on November 24 before taking on Uruguay and South Korea respectively.
Speaking to Happy FM, the former Black Stars management committee member was of the opinion Ghana may not be able to achieve anything at the World Cup in Qatar if the necessary structures and systems to achieve goals are not properly laid.
“We will go and come back empty handed if we don’t put in the necessary structures and systems to achieve our set goals as a national team”,
The biggest soccer mundial has been scheduled between November and December this year, with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy.
Ghana will make their fourth appearance at the FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar next month hoping to do better than 2010 squad in South Africa.
Visitors no longer need a negative COVID test or download the Ehteraz app.
Football fans traveling to Qatar for the World Cup will no longer need to present negative COVID tests and preregister on a government app to enter the country.
The Qatari government has cancelled the majority of travel restrictions related to COVID-19 ahead of the start of the World Cup that kicks off on November 20.
From November 1, travellers no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen tests to enter the country.
Visitors entering Qatar are not required to preregister on the government’s Ehteraz health application before their arrival.
A green health status on Ehteraz is now required only to access the country’s health facilities.
A COVID vaccination certificate is also no longer required to enter Qatar.
The arriving fans, players, officials, staff, and media are by far the biggest influx of visitors seen in Qatar, which has a population of approximately 2.9 million.
Qatari citizens and residents also no longer need to take a PCR or rapid antigen test within 24 hours of returning from abroad, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said.
The measures cover all visitors arriving from November 1, when Qatar will be closed to anyone without a Hayya card – the mandatory document issued to players, officials, staff, media and ticket holders, and their guests.
Qatari organisers and football’s governing body, FIFA, have said they want the event to be a sign the world is getting over the devastating pandemic.
But MoPH has previously warned that special measures would be ordered “in the event of a worsening pandemic situation in the country”, such as the emergence of a threatening new variant.
Players and match officials may be forced into a secure “bio-bubble” if COVID cases take off again, with the threat of expulsion from the tournament for those who breach the secure environment, the ministry said last month.
A requirement to wear masks on public transport was scrapped in October and masks are also not compulsory inside the eight World Cup stadiums.
“Ghana will again be represented at this year’s FIFA World Cup, this time in Qatar.
“This august house is expected to play a pivotal role in making sure players and technical team deliver to the expectations of Ghanaians.
“This is the time to right the wrongs that characterized the 2014 edition in Brazil. One which led to our early exit and brought so much shame and dishonor to Ghana football,” he added.
Ghana, who have been housed in Group H will open their campaign against Portugal on November 24 at Stadium 974 in Doha.
Ghana coach Otto Addo has promised Ghanaians that the Black Stars will be a joy to watch at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Black Stars make a return to the tournament after missing out on the 2018 edition in Russia.
Ghana will take on Portugal in their first game in Group H on November 24 before playing South Korea and Uruguay on November 28 and December 2 respectively.
“First of all we want to play our style of play and I think Ghanaian teams in the past always play good football,” the 47-year-old said as quoted by footyghana.com.
“And this is what we want and we had previous tournaments that showed that Ghana has good footballers.
“This comes surely with victories and that’s our desire. If we can survive the group stage which I said is going to be very tough, then anything is possible.”
Black Stars will play Switzerland in an International friendly on November 17, before travelling to Qatar for the World Cup.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place between November 20 and December 18, 2022.
LGBT football fans attending the World Cup in Qatar should show “a little bit of flex and compromise,” according to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
On Wednesday, he told LBC that fans travelling from England and Wales should be “respectful of the host nation,” where same-sex activity is illegal.
Within hours, the prime minister’s official spokesman stated that LGBT World Cup fans should not be expected to “compromise who they are” if they visit Qatar.
Labour called Mr Cleverly’s remarks “shockingly tone-deaf”.
In a separate interview with Sky News, the foreign secretary reiterated his message when asked how the government was pushing for LGBT equality in Qatar.
He said: “These are Muslim countries, they have very different cultural starting points for us. I think it’s important when you’re a visitor to a country that you respect the culture of your host nation.”
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES Image caption, During England matches, Harry Kane wears a white One Love captain’s armband, with a rainbow design in support of the LGBT community
The decision to stage the World Cup in Qatar, a country where homosexuality can be punishable by death, has been criticised by LGBT groups.
England and Wales have both qualified for the tournament, meaning they will each play three group matches, plus knock-out matches if they progress.
England’s three initial matches are being played in Doha, Al Khor, and – against Wales – in Al Rayyan. Wales are playing all three of their matches in the latter city.
Earlier this year, LGBT organisations engaging with Fifa said “progress has been slow” in ensuring the safety of LGBT fans – and that reassurances from Qatar had “not been adequate”.
Some footballers have been taking a defiant stand in support of the LGBT community in the run-up to the World Cup. Footballer Harry Kane has said he intends to wear his OneLove rainbow captain armband during World Cup matches, even if it is not approved for use by the football’s global governing body, Fifa, which runs the World Cup.
Fifa regulations state that a player’s kit and other “basic compulsory equipment. must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images”.
Some politicians, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, said they would not attend the tournament due to Qatar’s human rights record.
Wales’s First Minister, Mark Drakeford, is still expected to be there.
Mr Cleverly said he would be attending the World Cup, adding that the UK has “incredibly important partners in the Middle East”.
Mr Cleverly’s remarks come as Qatari officials stopped UK campaigner Peter Tatchell from staging an LGBT rights protest in Doha on Tuesday.
Mr Tatchell said he was “surrounded and interrogated” by authorities following the one-man protest, believed to be the first LGBT rights protest to take place in any Gulf state.
The campaigner said the foreign secretary should not attend the World Cup, and instead “highlight the abuses being carried out by the regime”.
Shadow digital, culture, media, and sport secretary Lucy Powell hit out at the foreign secretary’s remark, describing it as “shockingly tone-deaf”.
She said: “Sport should be open to all.
“Many fans will feel they can’t attend this tournament to cheer on their team because of Qatar’s record on human, workers, and LGBT+ rights.
“The government should be challenging Fifa on how they’ve put fans in this position, and ensuring the full safety of all fans attending, not defending discriminatory values.”
IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, James Cleverly was appointed as the foreign secretary on 6 September by Liz Truss – and retained his position under Rishi Sunak
“Any UK officials who attend should be using their position to highlight human rights abuses, not endorsing the regime.”
The Foreign Office, which is now headed by Mr Cleverly, has always issued and updated official online travel advice for Britons when they travel to any country in the World. For Qatar, the relevant page says: “Homosexual behaviour is illegal in Qatar.
Pakistani media outlet Dunya News has announced that where he worked before leaving the country in August, the body of well-known Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed by Kenyan police on Sunday, is on its way home.
His body is expected to arrive in Islamabad later on Tuesday afternoon after a stopover in Doha, Qatar.
The journalist will be cremated on Thursday at a cemetery in Islamabad, his widow Jawaria Siddique is quoted as saying.
Mr Sharif was “fatally wounded” while he was a passenger in a moving vehicle after it failed to stop at a roadblock, according to the Kenya police.
Officers had set up the roadblock as they were looking for a stolen car.
Uruguay coach Diego Alonso has announced 55-man provisional squad for the 2022 World Cup to be staged in Qatar.
The South American giants are in Group H and will face South Korea, Portugal and Ghana at the mundial.
The list includes Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, who is a major doubt for the tournament after picking up injury during the September international break.
Luis Suarez, whose deliberate handball prevented Ghana from reaching the tournament’s semi-finals in 2010, is in the squad, as are Edison Cavani, Diego Godin, Fernando Muslera and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, who is in top form.
Uruguay are the first team in Group H to announce their preliminary squad, with Ghana, Portugal, and South Korea also expected to do so on Friday.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is set to kick off in 30 days from today.
The opening ceremony will take place on November 20 at the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of the capital of Doha.
Following the opening ceremony, the first game of the tournament will be played between the host country and Ecuador.
Eight state-of-the-art stadiums will stage 64 matches between November 20 and December 18 as Qatar welcomes the best football teams on the planet for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world.
Approximately 1.2 million fans are expected to visit the country during the tournament.
Organisers said that 2.89 million tickets have been sold so far. Besides the host country, the United States, Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, France, Brazil and Germany recorded the highest ticket demand for the tournament.
The 2022 World Cup is the first in the tournament’s 92-year history to be played in November and December. The previous 21 editions were played between late May and the end of July.
FIFA finalised a decision to play in the northern winter season in 2015 to avoid Qatar’s summer heat, despite opposition from most European football bodies that were unhappy about having to shut down their domestic leagues for several peak weeks.
The tournament final will take place on December 18, Qatar’s National Day.
Morocco fans gathered Thursday (Oct 20) to support their team near the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup countdown clock as it marked thirty days left before the tournament, in the Qatari capital Doha.
Team anthems and jerseys: no doubt Moroccan fans in Qatar are getting in the World Cup mood.
Supporters gathered Thursday next to the countdown clock on Corniche road in Doha, with less than a month to go until the 22nd FIFA tournament kicks off.
“We are really excited to welcome our team”, Karim shared.
“We hope we can see them in the semi-finals or finals; why not? This really affects us, we are ready to support our country with our best.”
The Atlas Lions will face a battle against Canada, Belgium and Croatia in group F.
A new coach was appointed early september to lead the squad. Fans look forward to the team’s sixth appearance in the competition.
“I am very happy because our team is participating in the World Cup, the Moroccan audience is very excited and we are gathered here”, Ana said.
On November 20, the world cup will get started at the sixty thousand-seat Al Bayt Stadium.
All 64 games over the course of 29 days involving 32 teams will be held in the Doha area.
Morocco’s first game will take place on November 23. The team is one the five African countries qualified for the biggest football tournament.
About 1.2 million visitors are expected in Qatar for the first World Cup.
The Black Stars of Ghana have been drawn in Group H of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in Qatar.
Ghana will be making their fourth World Cup appearance and the first since 2014 and have been drawn against two familiar foes in Uruguay and Portugal with South Korea thrown in the mix.
Ghana lost to Portugal in 2014 during the group stages, and also lost on penalties in 2010 to Uruguay.
The Black Stars of Ghana will play their first World Cup game against Portugal at Stadium 947 in Doha on November 24, 2022.
They will then take on South Korea at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan.
They will wrap up the group stage games with a crucial match against Uruguay at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra, a game many Ghanaians have tipped to be an act of revenge.
Should Ghana emerge as Group winners, they will travel to the Lusail Iconic Stadium and will play at the Stadium 947 in Doha should they finish second in Group H.
In June 2022, Kizz Daniel said a prayer on Twitter: “God I want to perform [my song] ‘Buga’ for [the] world cup with a mass choir” and asked fans to “help me say amen.”
Four months after, the prayer has been answered.
The Nigerian singer-songwriter born Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe announced the good news by tweet-quoting his June post with the words: “and the Lord said see you in Qatar.”
Initially, Kizz’s fellow Nigerian Davido was announced as the African singer billed to grace the world stage in Qatar.
Other artistes involved with the 2022 FIFA event are Americans Lil Baby and Trinidad Cardona and Doja Aisha from Qatar.
The first time the World Cup is taking place in the Middle East, 32 countries will compete for the coveted trophy starting from Sunday, November 20.
Meanwhile, Kizz Daniel, nicknamed Vado the Great, has earned another number one hit just days after release with a song titled ‘Cough’. It features EMPIRE.
He has also announced the 2023 release of a new album named ‘Alcohol and Cigarettes’.
Qatarwill soon be competing in their first-ever World Cup, but that does not mean the hosts will settle for the title of honourary participants. Al Annabi have been preparing themselves for this moment ever since their successful bid back in 2010.
Indeed, current head coach Felix Sanchez began his Qatari journey back in 2006 when he joined Aspire Academy, a renowned sporting institution that has produced some of the most country’s most successful first-team players.
Spaniard Sanchez then followed the academy graduates on their journey, coaching them first in the Qatar youth teams and then the Olympic squad before finally taking over the senior side in 2017. This group of players is considered to be one of Al Annabi’s strongest ever.
Sanchez has so far won two titles with Qatar, the first coming in the 2014 AFC U-19 Championship and then with the first team in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Can he replicate such achievements on the greatest stage this winter with this group of Qatari stars? Only time will tell.
SAAD AL SHEEB
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 32
Saad Al Sheeb has long since dreamed of donning the number 1 shirt for Qatar at a home World Cup. In his interview with Al-Jazeera back in 2019, he said: “At present, my only dream is to represent Qatar at the 2022 World Cup.”
The Al Sadd SC goal-stopper has been a mainstay of Qatar’s national team since his debut back in 2009. Al Sheeb was vital in Al Sadd’s back-to-back title triumphs in the Qatar Stars League over the past two seasons and on top of that, the player has earned more than 75 international caps. The keeper has also featured in major international tournaments such as the Asian Cup, Copa America, and the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Awarded the honour of Best Goalkeeper at the 2019 Asian Cup, he only conceded one goal throughout that tournament thanks to his quick reaction time and ability to snuff out counterattacks. He will no doubt play a pivotal role at Qatar 2022, and stern tests surely lie ahead, as he is tasked with nullifying the likes of Sadio Mane, Memphis Depay, and Frenkie de Jong.
Al Sheeb still has to earn his place in the starting lineup though, considering the brilliant displays by Meshaal Barsham at the 2021 Arab Cup.
ABDELKARIM HASSAN
Position: Left-back
Age: 28
“The Gunner” and “the Flamethrower” are just two of the nicknames for Hassan – the third most-capped international player for Qatar with 120 games to his name. Hassan has been the first choice left back for Al Annabi for many a year and his influence is unparalleled.
The current Al Sadd SC star had a brief stint in Belgium several years ago and is expected to be one of the most influential players for Qatar this winter. He is blessed with speed, gifted technical and dribbling ability, and a rocket of a shot, epitomised by his thundering goal against Yemen in the 2019 Gulf Cup.
Abdul Karim Hassan’s influence will be substantial given his wealth of international experience in major tournaments. It will come as no surprise if he is one of the standout performers for the hosts.
With Al Sadd’s coach tweaking their formation last season to play three at the back as well as the emergence of the brilliant young Hammam Al Amin at left-back, some thought Hassan’s demise was imminent. Quite the opposite. He has successfully adapted to the new position and offers Felix Sanchez a newfound versatility and flexibility at the back.
HASSAN AL-HAYDOS
Position: Forward
Age: 31
Playmaker Al Haydos, who can also drop into central midfield and on the right wing, was one of Qatar’s star performers during their 2019 Asian Cup triumph and has matured at Al Sadd under the tutelage of Jafal Rashed Al Kuwari. He will no doubt be one of the shining lights for Al Annabi this winter due to his unquestionable technical ability.
His personality on the pitch has shone consistently throughout his career. Whether it be his late winning goal against Japan in the 2008 Olympic qualifiers, or his famous penalty shootout heroics for his club against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2011, he has shown character in abundance.
With 158 games under his belt, Al Haydos is the all-time most-capped Qatari international. It can be argued that he is among the most influential players in the team, having contributed to a total of 38 goals during his time with Al Annabi. Despite not having quite replicated his blistering goalscoring form at Al Sadd from 2018 and 2019, he has compensated with increased defensive output and now drops deeper to help out. This has been particularly evident in the last two seasons as Al Sadd have adopted a new system of three at the back.
Al Haydos was called up to the international scene some 14 years ago, making him the most experienced player in the squad. This experience will be priceless when faced with the formidable defences of the Netherlands, Senegal, and Ecuador.
AKRAM AFIF
Position: Forward Age: 25
Just like his father, Afif is a versatile player who plays on both the left and right-wing, as well as sometimes even spearheading the attack. Afif also has wide-ranging experience playing in Europe after his stint with Belgium’s OH Leuven, and several Spanish teams. He currently turns out for Al Sadd, where he has stamped his influence on the league. Despite a slight dip in form since April, he was still voted best player in the Qatar Stars League.
Afif finished the 2019-20 season with 15 goals, making him the top scorer in the QSL. As well as his goalscoring prowess, he has both the technical ability and vision to create numerous chances. He has a long pass in his locker that can split defences and he often lifts balls into dangerous areas, not to mention making regular efforts on goal.
All this attacking talent has Al Annabi fans dreaming of a strong World Cup campaign. Afif has also been shortlisted as AFC best player three times, winning the coveted award in 2019. Since then, he has been a vital cog for Al Annabi and is indispensable, even after his recent dip in form, and featured in all Qatar’s latest friendlies.
ALMOEZ ALI
Position: Striker
Age: 25
The current Al-Duhail SC star was Al Annabi’s top scorer in both the 2021 Gold Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup, registering nine goals and four goals respectively. He is the only player in the world who has scored in three different continental championships, and is currently Qatar’s third-highest all-time goal scorer, having registered 39 goals to date – close on the heels of all-time top scorer Mansour Muftah, who has 44 goals to his name.
This winter, Qatari fans will be heavily relying on outstanding individual performances from him as well as his ability to cash in on half-chances to help their team’s bid to qualify for the Round of 16.
Although his last goal for Qatar came towards the end of 2021, Ali can convert an opportunity in the blink of an eye thanks to his quick feet and intelligence of movement inside the penalty area. All these skills were on show in the 2019 Asian Cup final, when he scored with a stunning scissor kick. In his last major international tournament, the Concacaf Gold Cup, where Qatar reached the semifinal, Ali took home the golden boot.
Domestically, he proves his goalscoring worth at Al Duhail SC season after season. During the last campaign, Ali recorded his second-best goal tally relative to the number of matches played. Underestimate this marksman at your peril.
Ticket sales for the soccer World Cup are approaching the three-million mark ahead of the tournament kicking off in Qatar on November 20, Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino and event organisers said on Monday.
The top three purchasing countries of the 2.89 million tickets sold are Qatar, the United States and Saudi Arabia, World Cup Chief Operating Officer Colin Smith told a news conference in Doha.
Infantino, addressing the conference in a recorded video, said 240 000 hospitality packages had been sold for the month-long tournament, the first to be held in a Middle Eastern country.
Qatar, the smallest country to have hosted soccer’s global showpiece tournament, is preparing to receive an estimated 1.2 million visitors during the World Cup.
Thousands of fans are expected to stay in neighbouring countries like tourism hub the United Arab Emirates and fly in to Doha for matches due to limited accommodation in Qatar.
The director general of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee, Yasir Al Jamal, told the news conference that 2 million room nights have been sold and that Qatar has added an additional 30 000 rooms to accommodate last-minute ticket sales.
Many hotel rooms in Doha will be occupied by soccer teams, their support staff and World Cup officials.
Japan will be the first team to arrive for the tournament on 7 November, Smith said.
Qatar will host a second major tournament in the space of eight months after the country, hosts of this year’s World Cup, was awarded the 2023 Asian Cup.
Next year’s tournament was due to be held in China but, owing to the Chinese government’s strict Zero-COVID policy, it was confirmed earlier in 2022 that the competition would be held elsewhere.
Qatar, which is gearing up to host the World Cup in November and December, has now been selected to hold the tournament, which will take place between June 16 and July 16, 2023 and involve 24 teams.
It will mean the reigning Asian Cup champions have the chance to defend their title on home soil, with Qatar triumphing in the United Arab Emirates in 2019.
The pair have come under pressure following their uninspiring performance for the Black Stars.
Ghanaians have called on the technical handlers of the national team to drop the Ayew brothers after featuring against Brazil and Nicaragua in the September friendly games ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
But speaking to Untold Stories TV GH, George Afriyie said Ghanaians are unfair to the Ayew brothers.
“We have been unfair to them,” he said.
“As footballers, they all have their flaws but trust me if a player is playing in the EPL today, week in we out, what will be the justification for not calling him? It’s the same justification I will call for the inclusion of Jeffrey Schlupp.”
According to the astute football administrator, the two players are of good quality and a great addition to the Black Stars hence it will be unjust to call for their exclusion from the Black Stars.
“For me, if you call Jordan, you have called a good player from a good league.
“If I am not mistaken, just check the numbers of Andre Ayew. We are just criticizing them unfairly,” he added.
The pair however are expected to make Ghana’s squad for the Mundial in Qatar later this year.
In Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said politics and trade were the focus of the discussions at Thursday’s meeting.
“I would single out cooperation in the energy market, cooperation between Russia and Qatar within the framework of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum,” he told reporters.
The meeting was an attempt to diffuse tensions between Russia and Qatar, which have grown since the Ukraine crisis broke out earlier this year, according to a source familiar with the talks.
Major gas-exporter Qatar has sought a largely neutral stance on the conflict but several moves by the Gulf Arab state have recently irked Moscow, the source told Reuters news agency.
Sheikh Tamim called Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy on Monday hours after explosions rocked several Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv. Qatar has criticised Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory and was one of eight non-NATO countries to join a NATO meeting earlier this year, the source said.
Russia had shown its displeasure by interfering in key Qatar dossiers, the source said, citing as examples its delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria and its role in facilitating talks between world powers on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Qatar “needs cordial relations with Russia and others in the region”, in order to continue to play a role as a conflict mediator, the source said.
At the World Cup in Qatar, supporters of the Black Stars who consume alcohol outside of permitted locations run the risk of receiving hefty fines.
On November 20, the competition begins, with Ghana placed in the same group as South Korea, Uruguay, and Portugal.
While supporters will be free to drink up to 17 hours a day at a ‘desert festival’ throughout the tournament, they have been advised not to bring alcohol from their own nation.
The ‘desert festival’, which will be known as ‘Arcadia Spectacular’, will be staged just outside of Qatar’s capital city of Doha and will be able to accommodate 15,000 fans each day.
Alcohol will also be available at matches but only before and after the game, and once fans have passed through stadium security.
Fans should avoid purchasing duty free products en route to avoid confiscation upon arrival into Qatar.
The Black Stars of Ghana will start their World Cup campaign against Portugal on 24th November.
Vice President of the Ghana Football Association [GFA], Mark Addo, says the technical team of the Black Stars will parade a strong squad for the 2022 World Cup.
Otto Addo’s side has come under intense criticism following last month’s international friendly where Ghana lost 3-0 to Brazil and pipped Nicaragua 1-0.
With less than two months to the start of the Mundial to kick off in Qatar, Mr. Addo believes a formidable team will be named for the tournament.
“The team [Black Stars] is restructuring in terms of the way they want to play and all the new players coming in,” he said.
“I am very confident that we will present a very strong team. You can see from the talents that we have a strong talent pool. I am sure we will do well.”
The Black Stars will play Switzerland on November 17, in their final pre-World Cup match, before the tournament starts three days later.
“When we play against Switzerland, you guys will see a very strong team that is prepared and ready to play for laurels.”
Ghana has been paired in Group H of the World Cup with Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay.
Qatar 2022 starts on November 20, 2022, with Ghana’s first game against Portugal on November 24, 2022.
Neto has made nine appearances for Wolves this season
Wolves say Portugal forward Pedro Neto will miss the 2022 World Cup as he requires an ankle operation.
The 22-year-old suffered the injury in their 2-0 defeat by West Ham last Saturday, 1 October, when he was substituted after 24 minutes.
The Premier League club said that Neto strained his lateral ligaments.
“Following further evaluation and a specialist opinion this week, it is planned for him to undergo surgery,” a club statement added.
“This means that, unfortunately, he will not be fit for the upcoming World Cup.”
Neto has made three appearances for Portugal and, while he was in their squad for recent Nations League games against the Czech Republic and Spain, he did not play in either.
The World Cup will take place from 20 November to 18 December in Qatar.
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Ghana has dropped six places in the latest FIFA World Cup power rankings produced by American media outlet, CBS Soccer.
The West African powerhouse is placed 22nd position out of 32 teams ahead of the start of the biggest soccer mundial in Qatar next month.
The much-anticipated tournament has been scheduled for November and December with 32 countries set to battle it out for the covetous trophy in the Asian country.
Ghana lost 3-0 to Brazil bit recovered to beat Nicaragua 1-0 in the pre-World Cup friendlies last month.
The defeat and narrow win during the international break put the four-time AFCON winners in tier three, a pot for teams that have a 50/50 chance progressing to the round of 16.
South American giants, Brazil and Argentina are in tier 1, the two teams likely to win the tournament in Qatar.
The tier two has countries that can challenge for the championship which includes the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Uruguay, Germany, England and Croatia and are ranked from 3rd to 10th.
The tier three has only three teams and they identified as nations expected to make it out of their group. Senegal, Belgium and Portugal are the teams in tier three.
Tier four, the countries in the mix, where Ghana’s finds itself also has, Serbia, Japan, Switzerland, Morocco, Ecuador, South Korea, Mexico, Wales, Ghana, Iran, USA, Poland and Tunisia.
The final lot is the group with nations expected not to make it past the group stage and it includes Australia, Canada, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Fresh, milky samovar tea is giving its more established brother, the evaporated-milk karak, a run for its money.
Mohammed Ali, a restaurateur in Qatar’s capital Doha, tells a story about a female customer who would come to his shop every day with a flask to have it filled with karak tea.
One day, her driver brought the flask and said the woman was in a hospital ready to give birth. But she needed her karak.
The next day, she herself showed up with her flask.
Ali’s restaurant is not an upmarket cafe, it’s a nondescript 65-year-old eatery on Doha’s Old Airport Road, so what inspires this loyalty? It’s the karak.
Karak is a sweet, milky tea made by boiling water, thick canned milk, tea leaves, sugar, and cardamom (in some places add saffron) together until it reaches just the right consistency, which varies according to the karak maker.
Everyone in Qatar knows what it is, and the country’s kaftheeriyas (cafes) serve thousands of cups of it daily, most costing just 1 riyal ($0.27).
The next day, she herself showed up with her flask.
Ali’s restaurant is not an upmarket cafe, it’s a nondescript 65-year-old eatery on Doha’s Old Airport Road, so what inspires this loyalty? It’s the karak.
Karak is a sweet, milky tea made by boiling water, thick canned milk, tea leaves, sugar, and cardamom (in some places add saffron) together until it reaches just the right consistency, which varies according to the karak maker.
Everyone in Qatar knows what it is, and the country’s kaftheeriyas (cafes) serve thousands of cups of it daily, most costing just 1 riyal ($0.27).
Today, a lot of Qatar’s karak is made by people from the Moplah Muslim community of India’s North Malabar region, who were a land-owning, agrarian community.
“When agriculture went bust, youngsters from feudal families found the Gulf region as a haven where they could cash in doing any type of work away from home,” Rafeeq Thiruvalloor, a Malayalam writer from North Malabar, told Al Jazeera.
The same Malabaris brought samovar tea to Qatar.
Tea-maker Salman beats samovar tea to froth it at Kismath Restaurant [Photo courtesy of Shiraz Sithara]
Samovar tea, the more recent arrival which is gaining popularity now, and karak look the same but there are some major differences.
A karak, by default, is a strong tea, even the name sounds strong. Samovar tea is not strong by default, you have to request that, and it uses fresh milk whereas karak relies on thicker, canned milk.
With a standard karak, you don’t get many options when it comes to sugar levels. Many find karak oversweet and have to specify if they want a milder option.
In contrast, if you want your samovar tea sugary, you have to specify that in your order. Most samovar shops let you pick how you want your tea: strong, medium, light, waterless, well-beaten or unbeaten.
Before samovar, some karak tea shops served “fresh-milk tea” upon request – at double the price. There was also a “Sri Lankan tea”, simply a beaten version of karak.
Sajeer bin Abbas, a software engineer, said he stopped having tea at shops in Oman, where he worked for seven years because the teabag-infused karak served there disgusted him.
“Now, samovar tea is one of the pleasures of working in Qatar,” he said.
Tea-maker Salman adds more of the decoction to samovar tea to concentrate the flavour [Photo courtesy of Shiraz Sithara]
No one remembers seeing a samovar tea shop in Qatar before 2014. Now, while the number is still shy of 100, you often see long lines forming outside.
By most accounts, Lordz Restaurant, tucked away in Al-Thumama’s Furjan Market 36, is Qatar’s first samovar tea shop. The shop is known as Sayyidinte Chayakada (Sayyid’s teashop) and its owner, 39-year-old Sayid Komban Chalil, said he launched the business in 2014.
He came to Qatar 20 years ago and worked at his father’s cafeteria in the southern city of Al-Wakra. Eight years ago, he brought a samovar, from Kozhikode’s Copper Bazaar in the Indian state of Kerala.
Until recently, Chalil says, his stencilled image with a “Sayyidinte Chayakada” logo was on the glass door but authorities asked him to remove it. The name exists on the shop’s website, on one of the inside walls, and on the jerseys of three cricket clubs he sponsors.
Chalil, who comes to the shop now only in the evenings, said he was very active when he was setting up but owning a stable business helped him slow down.
On weekends, street cricketers flood his shop. He used to play for the Thumama Boys club and a shelf laden with trophies adorns one of the walls in the shop.
Until a recent repaint, Sayyidinte Chayakada was decorated with old Indian movie posters, giving it the look of old teashops in Malabar towns.
Samovar shops love their nostalgia. In Fereej Bin Mahmoud’s Chaya Kada, there are bicycles on the wall, old radios on display and a three-wheeled tuk-tuk rickshaw. New Plaza has a mural on the wall of a teashop in Kerala. In Asian Town’s Metro Restaurant, black and white photographs of a colonial Indian fort town adorn the wall.
Those suffering from homesickness can get a quick fix.
A samovar tea-making stage [Photo courtesy: Dosa Street]
The samovar
Chalil’s samovar is a barrel-shaped copper utensil that keeps 40 litres (10.5 gallons) of water boiling on a gas stove below a faucet. This is what is used to make the “decoction”, a potent sugarless black tea, and to keep milk simmering in an upper chamber.
Water is added through a hole on the top and milk heats up separately. The tea goes in the boiling water contained in a small fabric pouch, to keep the leaves from floating around in the finished tea.
If you want a cup of sugarless black tea, all it takes is about two tablespoons – 30ml (1 ounce) – of decoction added to 90-120ml (3-4 ounces) of boiling water.
Most samovar tea patrons, however, prefer milk tea. So the tea maker will add a ladle of simmering milk from a nearby stove and a spoon of sugar then he will “beat” the tea.
“The milk boiling on … top is a reserve. The tea-makercan’t always raise his hand to take it from there,” explained a tea-maker.
To beat the tea, the tea-maker pours it back and forth between a mug and a cup, raising and lowering his hand in a rapid, up-and-down movement to create froth. The consistency, foaminess and taste reach a new level with the beating, nearly impossible to replicate at home.
People watch the tea-beating pretty carefully. If the tea maker gets his hands really far apart, people call it “metre tea”, referring to the distance between the hands.
Beyond beating, the ratio of the ingredients, the heat dynamics of the stove,t the flavour of the decoction and milk, contribute to whether or not a tea maker is called a tea ustad (tea master).
Drinking tea at Lodz was Harshad Kuttipran, a samovar fan who likes exploring new places for tea and hopes to have a shop of his own.
His late father had teashops in India’s Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states. Growing up in Kerala, he remembered that teashops as institutions for socialising, where patrons could read newspapers and listen to the radio. “The news would lead to heated political debates,” Kuttipran said.
Can samovar challenge karak?
While people like Chalil are optimistic about the prospects of samovar tea in Qatar, many reckon karak tea will remain on top.
In Madinat Khalifa’s Kismath, a restaurant that serves samovar, tea-maker Salman has no time to talk. The one thing he said is that he makes 700 cups of tea during his shift.
The top lid of the samovar [Photo courtesy: Dosa Street]
But karak has a steady and established fan base, Muhammed Shibli, general manager at Tea Time, a chain with more than 50 branches across Qatar, said.
“People have more than 10 cups a day. We will remain serving karaks and only karaks for the time being,” Shibli said.
A partner in the Zanjabeel karak chain said his branches would serve only karak. However, Dosa Street, his south Indian cuisine venture in the Ain Khaled area of Doha, serves samovar tea.
Personally, he prefers karak because he finds the samovar tea makers’ habit of putting another layer of decoction over the foam sometimes leaves a sour taste.
In neighbourhoods like Matar Qadeem (Old Airport), where the population is younger and where gyms and barbershops are open round the clock, samovar tea shops provide a sense of community, or “vibes”, as the residents put it.
Many branches of House of Tea, anotherchain, have recently drifted towards samovar tea, said Kuttipran, the tea fan.
“Still, I don’t think Qataris and other Arabs will like the samovar, which is also generally less sugary than karaks.”
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
Ivan Toney has enjoyed a meteoric rise from League Two striker to England call-up — and a spot on the plane to Qatar is next in his sights.
The 26-year-old is enjoying a stellar season so far, catching Gareth Southgate’s attention after firing Brentford into the top half of the table.
And Toney’s excellent showings have been rewarded with a call-up to the Three Lions squad for their Nations League games against Italy and Germany.
Ahead of England’s clash with the Azzurri tonight, we take a look at the attacking star’s prospects of booking his place at the World Cup.
Meteoric rise
Toney started out in League Two with Northampton before being signed by Newcastle and loaned to a number of League One sides — though the Magpies eventually sold him to Peterborough after he failed to make an impact at St James’ Park.
The forward was playing in the third tier as recently as 2020 but has never been fazed by a new challenge.
He scored 31 times in his first — and only — Championship campaign as Brentford won promotion via the play-offs, where he added another two strikes to his tally.
Last season was Toney’s first full Premier League campaign and he took the division by storm, notching 12 goals as the Bees comfortably avoided relegation.
The West Londoners’ No17 looks on course to better that total this term and will be hoping to make his mark on the international stage at the first time of asking.
Toney has been a man on a mission this season, scoring five Premier League goals in just seven games — only Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Aleksandar Mitrovic have more.
The Northampton native’s incisive movement has seen him get on the end of seven big chances so far, scoring three.
While the fact he has missed four significant opportunities may seem like cause for concern, the rate at which he finds himself in those dangerous positions is a positive sign.
Additionally, his five strikes have come from an expected goals tally of just 2.78, allaying any fears over how clinical he is in the final third.
Spot on from 12 yards
Not that anyone who watched Toney’s sensational hat-trick against Leeds would have any cause to doubt his finishing ability.
His treble certainly did not lack variety, scoring a penalty, a direct free-kick and an audacious dink.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank hailed the centre forward as the world’s best penalty taker — and the league’s most in-form striker after Kane.
He said: “It’s a nightmare to play against [Toney].
“Also, I have said many times he is the best penalty taker in the world and hopefully I won’t get bored saying it.
“The free-kick? Wow! I said to him, if you want to take them, you have to practice. It was a classic Ivan goal, fantastic technique.
“Then [the] last one is just ridiculous, to dink it over the keeper and pull that finish out of the hat.
“Off the top of my head, looking at strikers on form, Harry Kane is number one but there is not a better striker [than Toney] after Kane on form.
“I don’t see a better one. Plus, England have been in a few penalty shootouts and if they want to win one, they need to pick Ivan.”
Organisers of the 2022 World Cup have revealed that alcohol will be served “in select areas” within stadiums in Qatar.
The vantage points is necessary as the Fifa event will be taking place in a Muslim country in the Middle East for the first time.
The consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Islam.
A 40,000-capacity fan zone in the capital Doha will provide drinks to be purchased.
CEO Nasser Al Khater told BBC Sport that “We want people to come and have experiences they will never forget.”
Al Khater said they are still “finalising our alcohol strategy” but this is the first time the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery have publicly announced plans to allow fans to drink within the stadium perimeter.
Fifa have said ticket holders will have access to drink options within the stadium perimeter prior to kick-off and after the final whistle.
Inside the stadium bowl ticket holders will only be able to purchase non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks.
It marks a significant relaxation of the rules for the tournament as Qatar – like other countries in the Middle East – has strict controls on alcohol and it is illegal to consume it in public.
Licensed hotel bars and restaurants are the only places that usually sell alcohol, but visitors during the tournament will also be able to purchase a beverage at the Fifa fan festival in Doha’s Al Bidda Park after 18:30 local time.
During the 2019 Fifa Club World Cup, which took place in Doha and was won by Liverpool, supporters were able to consume alcohol in a site just outside the city.
Al Khater said additional locations “will be communicated in due course”, adding: “While alcohol will be available to those who want a drink in designated areas, it will not be openly available on the streets.
“What we ask is that people, when they visit, stick to these designated areas.
“We are incredibly excited to be welcoming the world to Qatar and the Middle East and Arab world. For many people it will be their first opportunity to see and explore the region.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are determined to use it to its fullest.”
Qatar has a population of just under three million and it is expected about 1.2 million visitors will be in attendance during the World Cup.
Al Khater said there were “no concerns over a shortfall of accommodation” with up to 130,000 rooms available across hotels, cabins in two cruise ships, apartments and desert camps.
There have been 40 million ticket requests for the tournament, with 2.45 million already being sold, and Al Khater said he was “confident” all tickets available to the general public will be sold.
The tournament has been moved to start a day earlier on Sunday, 20 November, with hosts Qatar facing Ecuador.
Ayew’s posters have been noticed on well-traveled streets in the Arab nation with less than three months till the start of the world event, which will be watched by millions.
Qatar has deported migrant workers who protested about unpaid wages, as the country prepares for the football World Cup in November.
At least 60 workers rallied outside Al Bandary International Group’s Doha offices on 14 August – some reportedly had not been paid for seven months.
A number of protesters were detained and some were deported, although it’s not known how many.
The government said those who were deported had “breached security laws”.
Since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010 – sparking a wave of construction of stadiums and infrastructure across the country – its treatment of migrant workers has been questioned.
The Al Bandary International Group company is predominantly a construction and engineering company.
It is not known whether the workers were involved in the World Cup preparations, and the organizing committee declined to comment.
But in a statement to the BBC, the Qatari government confirmed that a number of workers who took part in the rare protest in Doha had been detained for breaching public security laws.
It is understood that a minority of those “who failed to remain peaceful” face deportation, and rights groups say some have already left the country.
The Qatari government said it would pay all delayed salaries and benefits to the affected workers.
The government said the Al Bandary group was already under investigation for not paying its workers, and further action is being taken after a deadline to settle payments had been missed.
The workers’ case was highlighted by Equidem, a human rights organization specialising in labour rights.
Its head, Mustafa Qadri, told the BBC: “Have we all been duped by Qatar and FIFA?
“They’ve been telling us there’s no moral quandary about holding the World Cup in Qatar, in a country which still punishes people for speaking their minds.”
The workers who protested were from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Egypt and the Philippines, according to Mr Qadri.
Mr Qadri – who has been in touch with several of workers – said some police officers told the protesters that, if they can strike in hot weather, they can sleep without air conditioning, too.
“Can you imagine how desperate the workers must have been to protest in 42 degrees? They aren’t political actors, they just want to be paid for their labour,” Mr Qadri added.
Earlier this year, BBC Arabic reported allegations that Qatar is under-reporting the number of migrant workers who have died of heat stroke.
FIFA, the organisation for international football, was earlier this year urged to set up a compensation fund of at least $440m (£350m) for migrant workers who have suffered “human rights abuses”
A spokesperson for the government’s World Cup organising committee declined to comment on the Al Bandary protest. The Al Bandary group did not respond to a request for comment.
The Qatari government said 96% of eligible workers in Qatar are covered by a wage protection system, which obliges employers to transfer all wages through Qatari banks within seven days of their due date, and that gaps in the system were being identified.
On Thursday, FIFA noted that more than half a million of the tickets were sold from July 5-16, the last sales period.
“Fans living in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, England, Argentina, Brazil, Wales and Australia led the way and the digital queues by securing the biggest number of tickets,” Fifa said.
According to the Association, largest number of allocated tickets were for group stage matches like Cameroon v Brazil, Brazil v Serbia, Portugal v Uruguay, Costa Rica v Germany and Australia v Denmark.
In late September, the launch date for the next sales phase will be announced.
Over-the-counter sales will also start in Doha after the launch of the last-minute sales phase, FIFA added.
The 2022 World Cup tournament is expected to commence on Sunday, November 20, instead of November 21, 2022.
Host Qatar and Ecuador will also be opening the tournament with their game in place of the Senegal and Netherlands game.
Initially, the Qatar vs Ecuador game was fixed as the third match in the Group A opener.
The changes follow a request from South American confederation Conmebol to Qatar and Ecuador indicating that it fits in with the tradition of either the hosts or the holders being involved in the opening match.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be the 22nd running of the FIFA World Cup competition, the quadrennial international men’s football championship contested by the senior national teams of the member associations of FIFA.
It is scheduled to take place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022. This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world, and the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.
The Black Starsof Ghana is in Group H with South Korea, Uruguay, and Portugal.
Here is a list of all the coaches who will be in charge of their teams at Qatar 2022:
The 2022 World Cup tournament is expected to commence on Sunday, November 20, instead of November 21, 2022.
Host Qatarand Ecuador will also be opening the tournament with their game in place of the Senegal and Netherlands game.
Initially, the Qatar vs Ecuador game was fixed as the third match in the Group A opener.
The changes proposed follows a request from South American confederation Conmebol to Qatar and Ecuador indicating that it fits in with the tradition of either the hosts or the holders being involved in the opening match.
It is yet to be decided if the changes suggested would be implemented.
The final decision will be made by the bureau of the Fifa council, which comprises the six confederation presidents, plus Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
If it is approved as expected, it would not change the release dates for players, and Senegal against the Netherlands would be switched to 16:00 on the Monday, given only three games would be played instead of the present four.
England’s Group B match with Iran, which is being played at 13:00 on 21 November, would be unaffected, as would Wales’ opening match against the United States of America at 21:00 on the same date.
Female referees will officiate matches at this year’s men’s World Cup for the first time in the tournament’s history.
France’s Stephanie Frappart, Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita have been selected to take charge of games in Qatar.
They will be supported by three female assistant referees.
Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have also been chosen for the tournament, which begins on Monday, 21 November.
Taylor refereed the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland, and was praised for reacting quickly to ensure Christian Eriksen received urgent medical attention after collapsing on the field.
In total, 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials have been chosen for this year’s tournament.
“As always, the criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” said the chairman of Fifa’s referees committee Pierluigi Collina.
“This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at Fifa men’s junior and senior tournaments.
“In this way, we clearly emphasise it is quality that counts for us and not gender.
“I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational.”
Ghana coach Charles Kwablan Akonnor has received alot of praises from the fans following his team’s impressive display against Qatar on Monday in the international friendly.
Akonnor recorded his first win as head coach of the Black Stars in his side’s 5-1 win against the 2019 Asian Champions at the Titanic Sports Stadium.
Goals from captain Andre Ayew (2X), Samuel Owusu, Caleb Ekuban and Tariq Fosu help CK Akonnor to pick his first win in his second game.
The former Asante Kotoko coach had come under severe criticism following Ghana’s abysmal performance against Mali on Friday which they lost 3-0 at the Emir Sports Complex.
Ghana responded strongly with a powerful performance as they thrashed the Asian Champions to help Akonnor record his first win as head coach.
Some of the fans compared the Black Stars to that of a UEFA Champions League winning team whilst others were impressed with the improvement in the performance on the pitch.
