Portugal makes its debut this Thursday at the 2022 Soccer World Cup, in Qatar, seeking to start the competition with a win against Ghana and gain momentum for the ‘battles’ that continue with a view to qualifying for the ‘eighth’.
The national team will be one of the last to enter the field in the first round of the group stage, facing the African team starting at 7:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. in Lisbon), at Estádio 974, in Doha.
In the last training session before his debut in Group H, Fernando Santos had all the players available -at least in the 15 minutes open to journalists-, so he has a wide range of athletes and characteristics to choose from.
Although he has not given clues in the periods in which the media have had access to the sessions, the coach can bet on an ‘eleven’ with Diogo Costa, João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Pepe, Nuno Mendes, Rúben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Otávio, João Félix and the ‘captain’ Cristiano Ronaldo, the only player in the national team without a club, after having terminated his contract with Manchester United on Tuesday.
Against Ghana, an opponent they only met once, in the 2014 World Cup (2-1 victory), Portugal will try to do something they haven’t been able to do since 2006, which is to win their World Cup debut. .
In 2010 they started with a draw against the Ivory Coast (0-0), in 2014 they were thrashed by Germany (0-4) and, in 2018, they conceded a draw again, with Spain (3-3).
Portugal and Ghana will play starting at 7:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. in Lisbon), at Estádio 974, in Doha, in a match that will be refereed by the American Ismail Elfath.
In the other Group H match, Paulo Bento’s South Korea will face Uruguay, Portugal’s ‘executioner’ in the 2018 World Cup in Russia (1-2 in the ‘eighth’), at the Education City Stadium, in Doha, at 16:00 local time. hour (13:00 in Lisbon).
Group G will also have the first duels in dispute, with Switzerland playing against Cameroon (10:00 a.m. in Lisbon), and Brazil, five-time world champions, against Serbia (7:00 p.m.), in the closing match of the first return of the groups
The 22nd edition of the World Championship will run until December 18 in Qatar.
Source: TSF
