Doha, November 28 (QNA) – Hosts Qatar seek a final honorable showdown against Netherlands on Tuesday evening in the last Group A fixture at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, at Al Bayt Stadium.
Felix Sanchez’s men, who are breaking their World Cup duck, were eliminated after a 0-2 opening match loss to Ecuador and a subsequent 1-3 defeat from Senegal, leaving the other three sides clashing for reaching the knockouts.
The Spanish will depend on the slightly-improving performance against Senegal to give a good display against Netherlands in a pressure-free match.
In press statements, Sanchez said his side paid the price for their defense mistakes against Ecuador and Senegal despite a noticeable improvement in their attacking performance that saw forward Mohamed Muntari netting for the Maroons their first-ever World Cup goal against Senegal.
Captain Hassan Al Haydos apologized for Qatari fans for their underwhelming performance in their first-ever World Cup appearance, reiterating that his side paid a dear price for their defense mistakes and affirmed that they showed a high-octane match against Senegal. He further called on his mates to throw all their weight behind a last honorable appearance against Netherlands.
Sitting atop the group along with Ecuador with four points apiece and +2 goal difference, Netherlands will pursue a rout to evade a high octane last-16 clash with the UK, the clear favorites to lead Group B.
Luis Van Gaal’s men, relying on their World Cup experiences, defeated Senegal 2-0 in their World Cup opener before they played out a 1-1 draw against Ecuador. (QNA)