Qatar World Cup draw 2022: Group A results with Senegal, Netherlands, matches, fixtures, star players, roster and coach

World Cup hosts Qatar will be participating in the finals of the tournament for the first time in their history.

It will be a hugely significant occasion for Felix Sanchez's team, as they look to show that they can compete with the strongest nations in the world.

There will be a lot of focus on Qatar as a country during the tournament, especially given concerns regarding human rights and the treatment of migrant workers in the build-up to the tournament.

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Sanchez will hope to focus attention on the pitch — with a hard-working squad who will be determined to put on a show.

Qatar World Cup Group A

Qatar will have to overcome two of the perceived heavyweights from both Africa and Europe if they are to make it past the group stages of their own tournament.

Defending Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal will pose a real challenge, with all eyes likely to be on their talismanic Liverpool striker Sadio Mane.

Qatar's final group game, against another Liverpool man Virgil van Dijk and his Netherlands side, could have everything on the line.

The opening fixture for Qatar will see the hosts meet Ecuador on Nov. 21, in a game that is arguably the most winnable of the three. Victory there would offer the hosts the perfect way to kick-start the tournament. 

World Cup Group A table & fixtures

Group A match schedule

Qatar World Cup snapshot

As the 2022 World Cup host, Qatar is determined to put on a show for football fans around the globe, and that includes on the field. 

The small Gulf nation with a population under three million has invested significantly in its national team program over the last decade, since it won the right to host the tournament back in Dec. 2010.

Since then, the cash outlay on player development, coaching and infrastructure has paid off, with a No. 51 FIFA World Ranking, up from 112th. It also resulted in a first Asian Cup in 2019.

With ex-Barcelona youth coach Sanchez leading the way since 2017, Qatar boast an attack-minded, entertaining playing style, which is sure to win over fans no matter how far they advance in their first World Cup appearance.

• Current FIFA World Ranking: No. 51 (March 2022)
• World Cup titles: 0
• World Cup appearances (last): 0 ( N/A)
• How qualified: Hosts
• Record
  • 2021 12W-7L-5D (Goals: 35 scored / 32 conceded)
  • 2022 1W-0L-0D (Goals: 2 scored / 1 conceded)

Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 preview

Qatar usually look to get the ball down and play, with either a three or five-man back line to make full use of the width of the pitch.

The entire squad plays in Qatar, with winger Akram Afif noted as one of the most talented players in the team.

Captain Hassan Al Haydos is their stalwart who will lead by example, although he was ruled out of the latest friendly fixture round in March due to injury.

• Star Players: Akram Afif (Al Sadd / Qatar), Almoez Ali (Al Duhail / Qatar), Hassan Al Haydos (Al Sadd / Qatar).
• Players to Watch: Tarek Salman (Al Sadd / Qatar), Mohammed Al Bayati (Al Saad / Qatar)

Strengths: 

• Width: Qatar can pose a threat on the counter-attack, particularly through Afif, who traditionally cuts in from the left to attack the opposition.
• Cohesion: There is a lot of familiarity within the Qatar squad, with many of the players used to playing with each other at club level as part of the Al Saad side. 

Weaknesses: 

• Solidity: Despite having a fluid defensive formation, they can be vulnerable at the back and may find it tough to contain the world-class attacking talent against the perceived bigger nations.
• Injuries: There are concerns that if some of Qatar's key players are missing then they could struggle, as there is not a lot of depth in their squad. 

Qatar Squad

Who is Qatar head coach?

• Coach (Nationality): Felix Sanchez (Spain)
• Date hired: July 2017
• Record as national team manager (W-L-D): 41-23-14
• Major titles since hire: AFC Asian Cup 2019

Notable victories: 6-0 v North Korea (2019), 6-0 v Afghanistan (2019).

Qatar World Cup build-up results

Qatar's results so far in preparation for the tournament have been rather mixed, although there have been some notable results, such as a draw with the Republic of Ireland.