Panafrican News Agency

2022 FIFA WC: Opening match to be played one day early

Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is set to be played one day early on 20 November with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador.

This fixture will replace the Senegal vs the Netherlands encounter, as the administrative arm of FIFA has submitted a proposal for the Qatar vs Ecuador match, which is the Group A opener scheduled for 21 November, now moved to 20 November.

This decision, which must be ratified by the FIFA Council Bureau, aims to return to the traditional opening match that features either the hosts or defending champions.

If approved, Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the World Cup, will play the opening match on Sunday, 20 November at 19:00 local (16:00 GMT) at the Al-Bayt stadium in Al-Khor, north of Doha.

Senegal will then play the Netherlands the next day at 19:00 local (16:00 GMT).

Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, Ghana, and Tunisia are the five African representatives at the 2022 World Cup. 

-0- PANA BKN/IS/SOC/MTA/MA 11Aug2022