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Doha (AFP) – Spain manager Felix Sanchez confirmed on Saturday that his players have made ‘sacrifices’ over the past 12 years, promising the fruits of those efforts will appear on the pitch when Al-Annabi take on Ecuador at Sunday’s World Cup opener .
In response to a question from Agence France-Presse during a press conference on the eve of facing Ecuador in the first group matches of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Sanchez said: “Of course, everything we’ve done in recent years has been really building a competitive team Naturally, we didn’t have much to start with, we have players in the local league and we decided that one of the possibilities to strengthen the national team is to have longer playing periods so they qualify for the national team».
The Spanish coach added: “Therefore, there were some different scenarios that we played with (…) We made use of all the energies that were present.”
Sanchez underlined that “there have been so many sacrifices, and we have had to spend long periods abroad and away from families, but this is a commitment, and our commitment has been strong towards the country and the team”.
“That’s why we want to show everyone again tomorrow and during the World Cup that all this time we’ve invested abroad, all those matches, all that effort, we’ll see him on the pitch at the first whistle.”
Qatar, hosting the first World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world, look to deliver good results in Group A, which also includes the Netherlands and Senegal.
In addition to Sanchez, there was the captain and striker of the Qatar national team, Hassan Al-Haydos, who said: “We try to look our best. The challenge is great and the task is difficult.”
He added: “This is the World Cup for all Arabs, and as players we have a responsibility to show good level and sportsmanship on the pitch.”
Shortly after, the coach of the Ecuadorian national team, Gustavo Alfaro, also held a press conference in which he confirmed that “the Qatar national team is homogeneous (…) and we must not forget that we will face the Asian national champion and host country , they have put a lot of effort in this period and are reaping the fruits of what they have done.”
He added: “Qatar has been preparing for this match for more than 12 years. They have been playing friendly matches for five or six months, which means they are an organized team. The organized team is ready to make things more difficult for any competitor .”
© 2022 AFP
