World Cup Group A Previews, Tickets & Predictions
We at SafeTicketCompare.com look into Group A for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and discuss the teams in further detail.
Qatar
The hosts will be hoping that home support helps them avoid becoming only the second host country not to make it past the group stage. If they are to avoid joining South Africa on that unenviable list, they will need to recreate the form that saw them win the Asia Cup in 2019.
They do have tournament pedigree, winning the aforementioned Asia Cup and finishing third in the Arab Cup in 2021. However, they may just lack the quality to get out of a group with two of the tournament’s strongest sides.
Their Spanish coach, Felix Sanches, has a difficult task ahead but one he will relish. After all, he has already done an amazing job with this group of players. Tickets for the home nation of Qatar National Football team.
Group Prediction: 3rd Place.
Key Player: Akram Afif is one of Qatar’s top players and they will need him to be at his creative best if they are to progress.
Ecuador
Ecuador is enjoying unprecedent success in the international game, with their country reaching four World Cups this century. Prior to that they didn’t sing a single one.
The last time they reached the last 16, David Beckham broke their hearts. If they are going to go further in Qatar, they’ll need their stars to be on-song. Pervis Estupiñán will be hoping to build upon an excellent Champions League campaign with Villareal and push his country into the latter stages of the tournament.
However, their qualifying record wasn’t without a few hiccups along the way and they may find it difficult amongst two talented teams and the hosts in this group. World Cup Tickets for the Ecuador National Football team.
Group Prediction: 4th Place.
Key Player: Michael Estrada has shown that he knows how to find the back of the net for DC United. With the right service, he could replicate that form for his national team.
Senegal
Senegal has shown excellent nerve in pressurised environments in recent times. Firstly, they defeated Egypt on penalties to win the African Cup of Nations, then they took out the same team in the World Cup qualifying playoffs.
They have a team that is full of talent and may be Africa’s best hope of a World Cup winning side. Saido Mane is the star, but they have a side that is full of talent.
Experts are tipping them and the Dutch to be competing for the top spot in this group. However, critics will point to their inability to create against Egypt as a reason to doubt.
Group Prediction: 2nd Place
Key Player: It is difficult to look past Mane when considering who could be integral to Senegal going far in the tournament. He is their talisman and if he is playing his best, they will be a threat against any team.
Netherlands
Louis Van Gaal brough the Netherlands to a World Cup semi-final before and he will be hoping to go one better this time around. They have a team littered with top players, from Virgil Van Dijk at the back, all the way to upfront, where Memphis Depay has proved himself as a goal machine.
Focus and concentration have been this side’s Achilles’ heel in the past, but with ‘Big Virg’ commanding his troops, it’s hard to see them lose the games they’re expected to win.
They start their quest for the trophy against Senegal and that game will go a long way to determining how likely either side is to achieve their goals.
Key Player: Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong will be expected to pull the strings in midfield for Holland. They playmaker acts as their Luka Modric and they will need that vision to go forward. Tickets for Netherlands / Holland World Cup 2022
Group Prediction: 1st Place
The biggest matchups for Group A are:
- Qatar vs Netherlands
- Netherlands vs Senegal
- Qatar vs Ecuador.
