Izuchukwu Okosi
With barely a week to the big kick off of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Prime Business Africa presents profiles of the teams heading to the 32nd edition of the tournament.
Here we continue with our emphasis on Group A teams and specifically in this piece, Ecuador who will play hosts Qatar on the opening day of the tournament.
These teams profiles were vastly sourced from FIFA’s official website.
ECUADOR
Very much the surprise package in South American qualifying, Ecuador look more than capable of making their mark at the upcoming FIFA World Cup™.
Boasting a squad that is packed full of promising talents, Gustavo Alfaro’s charges exceeded all expectations to land one of the automatic tickets to the Qatar showpiece ahead of other nations that, on paper at least, appeared to possess greater talent.
That campaign brought a number of historic moments, including a maiden away triumph over Chile, as the Ecuadorians outperformed regional heavyweights Peru, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay to clinch a spot at the global football festival.
April’s group-stage draw was greeted with quiet optimism by those in the Ecuador camp. The South Americans will have the honour of running out in the tournament curtain-raiser on 20 November, when they take on hosts Qatar, before pitting their wits against Senegal and the Netherlands in the battle to secure a last-16 spot.
Possessing a solid and youthful squad that features a handful of budding talents who strut their stuff for Europe’s biggest hitters and a coach who manages to get the best out of each and every one of his players to make Ecuador an increasingly competitive force, La Tri’s first target is to negotiate their way out of Group A. Reaching the Round of 16 would match the national team’s best-ever showing and victory at that stage would see them write the most glorious page in the nation’s history.
While Ecuador will certainly have their work cut out, they are certainly not short on confidence in their ability to raise more than a few eyebrows on Arab soil.
The team have what it takes to progress beyond the group stage under the stewardship of their world-class coach, but will have to up their game in the final third if they are to make it through to the knockout stage.
READ ALSO: 2022 FIFA World Cup Team Profiles: Qatar’s Chances Slim Despite Hosting Status
Their opponents should sit up and take note: Ecuador have the potential to make a serious impression at the forthcoming FIFA World Cup™.
Alfaro’s approach and tactics
The 60-year-old, born in the Argentinian city of Rafaela, will accomplish one of his career dreams when he leads Ecuador out in Qatar.
Following a distinguished managerial career in his homeland, the experienced coach took over an Ecuador side at rock bottom after they failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.
Alfaro’s appointment represented a coming together of two wounded beasts with an appetite for revenge. After overseeing considerable success in the Boca Juniors dugout, Alfaro’s reign was brought to an abrupt end in the wake of the Buenos Aires-based outfit’s elimination from the 2019 Copa Libertadores following defeat to their eternal enemies River Plate at the semi-final stage.
His arrival triggered a revolution within the national-team set-up. Alfaro managed to re-engage a set of players who had become disillusioned with La Tri and placed his faith in a cohort of fresh-faced aces who had proven their worth in the national youth teams and Ecuadorian football, with the production line at Independiente del Valle representing a particularly rich source of talent.
The infectious enthusiasm of the new faces, along with the presence of some seasoned performers, such as Enner Valencia, combine with Alfaro’s pragmatic tactical approach to forge an extremely competitive side that displays the defensive solidity the coach is renowned for, while he encourages the creativity and flair offered by the stars at his disposal.
Ecuador proved to be the surprise package in qualifying thanks to their well-drilled system and a set-up that allowed their up-and-coming stars the licence to shine.
After managing to restore the pride felt by the players in representing the national team and successfully banishing a number of the labels attached to the side, Alfaro has earned himself hero status in Ecuador.
Ecuador’s Group A fixtures
20 November
Ecuador-Qatar (19:00 local time, Al Bayt Stadium)
25 November
Ecuador-Netherlands (19:00, Khalifa International Stadium)
29 November
Ecuador-Senegal (18:00, Khalifa International Stadium)
Prime Business Africa’s prediction: Ecuador are likely to emerge third in Group A behind Netherlands and Senegal based on the promising talents at their disposal.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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