The 2022 FIFA World Cup is almost upon us with kick-off this Sunday between hosts Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. With Sadio Mane out for Senegal, Group A suddenly looks more open behind the Netherlands which creates an opportunity for a surprise name to make it to the knockout phase. In 2018, hosts Russia got out of their group while Sweden topped theirs and sent titleholders Germany home. Chile beat and advanced ahead of defending champions Spain in 2014 while shock quarterfinalists Costa Rica topped a group which saw Italy and England eliminated and the USMNT also edged Portugal out in their group. There are always unexpected success stories at World Cup, and we look at the unheralded names in each group.
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Group A: Ecuador
Fancied by some even before Senegal lost Mane to injury, La Tri risked exclusion from Qatar at one point due to the dispute over Byron Castillo’s nationality. That drama aside, Gustavo Alfaro has a talented squad to work with which includes Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, Brighton and Hove Albion trio Pervis Estupinan, Moises Caicedo, and Jeremy Sarmiento, ESTAC Troyes’ Jackson Porozo, FC Augsburg’s Carlos Gruezo as well as Real Valladolid’s Gonzalo…
