World Cup 2022 Group A – Players To Watch in Qatar

Carl Lewis and football writer Zach Lowy discuss players to watch in Group A of the World Cup in Qatar.

Group A at the 2022 World Cup contains three-time losing finalists the Netherlands, reigning AFCON winners Senegal and hosts Qatar alongside South American qualifiers Ecuador.

Here is the list below:

Qatar

World ranking: 50
Coach: Felix Sanchez
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Saad Al Sheeb (Al-Sadd), Yousef Hassan (Al-Gharafa), Meshaal Barsham (Al-Sadd), Ro-Ro (Al-Sadd), Abdelkarim Hassan (Al-Sadd), Boualem Khoukhi (Al-Sadd), Ismaeel Mohammad (Al-Duhail), Bassam Al-Rawi (Al-Duhail), Tarek Salman (Al-Sadd), Musab Kheder (Al-Sadd), Homam Ahmed (Al-Gharafa), Jassem Ghaber (Al-Arabi), Karim Boudiaf (Al-Duhail), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al-Rayyan), Ali Assadalla (Al-Sadd), Assim Madibo (Al-Duhail), Salem Al-Hajri (Al-Sadd), Mohammed Waad (Al-Sadd), Mostafa Tarek (Al-Sadd), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd), Akram Afif (Al-Sadd), Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail), Mohammed Muntari (Al-Duhail), Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al-Gharafa), Khalid Muneer (Al-Wakrah), Naif Al-Hadhrami (Al-Rayyan).

Ecuador

World ranking: 44
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Moises Ramirez (Independiente del Valle), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito), Hernan Galindez (Aucas), Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton), Angelo Preciado (Genk), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Diego Palacios (Los Angeles FC), Felix Torres (Santos Laguna), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburg), Jose Cifuente (Los Angeles FC), Alan Franco (Talleres), Moises Caicedo (Brighton), Angel Mena (Club Leon), Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton), Jhegson Mendez (Los Angeles FC), Ayrton Preciado (Santos Laguna), Gonzalo Plata (Real Valladolid), Romario Ibarra (Santos Laguna), Djorkaeff Reasco (Newell’s Old Boys), Kevin Rodriguez (Imbabura), Michael Estrada (Cruz Azul), Enner Valencia (Fenerbahce).

The Netherlands

World ranking: 8
Coach: Louis van Gaal
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord), Remko Pasveer (Ajax), Andries Noppert (sc Heerenveen), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax), Jurrien Timber (Ajax) Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale),  Stefan de Vrij (Internazionale), Mathijs de Ligt (Bayern München), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Steven Berghuis (Ajax), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta Bergamo), Cody Gakpo (PSV), Marten de Roon (Atalanta Bergamo), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax), Xavi Simons (PSV), Memphis Depay (FC Barcelona), Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Vincent Janssen (Royal Antwerp FC), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Noa Lang (Club Brugge), Wout Weghorst (Besiktas)

Senegal

World ranking: 18
Coach: Aliou Cisse
Confirmed 26-man squad:
Edouard Mendy (Chelsea), Seny Dieng (QPR), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Abdou Diallo (RB Leipzig), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiacos), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Fode Ballo-Toure (AC Milan), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Cheikhou Kouyate (Nottingham Forest), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Pape Sarr (Tottenham), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Sadio Mane (Bayern Munich), Ismaila Sarr (Watford), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United)