The Group A match will be an acid test for the hosts both on and off the pitch.
Qatar will finally get their home World Cup under way on Sunday, 12 years after the nation’s successful bid put into motion wide-ranging preparations which cost billions of dollars.
It is widely accepted the Gulf state has spent $200 billion on hosting football’s biggest event and Qatar will get its first glimpse at the final product at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor when the hosts take on Ecuador.
Organisers say that 2.9 million of the 3.1 million tickets have been sold and they will be expecting a 60,000 sell-out on Sunday.
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The home team’s players have also been preparing tirelessly, spending months outside Qatar in isolated training camps, in an attempt to reach the knockout phase on their World Cup debut.
“Our situation is different (compared to other teams) and we have to work with what we’ve got,” coach Felix Sanchez told a press conference on the eve of the tournament.
“It’s true it’s a massive sacrifice, many time away from our families and abroad and this shows the commitment of the players to compete and it all starts tomorrow.
