Express
Qatar are set to get the green light from FIFA to move forward their first fixture to ensure they take part in the first match of the World Cup, according to reports. The 2022 World Cup hosts have requested a change to the start date of the tournament just three months before it is set to get underway.
The World Cup, the first to be hosted in the Northern Hemisphere and during the winter months as opposed to summer, was originally set to commence from November 21, with Senegal facing the Netherlands in Doha.
However, Qatar are keen to kick things off in their inaugural World Cup by taking on Ecuador in the tournament curtain raiser. The Athletic report that Fifa are considering the proposal and are likely to approve the change to the schedule, which will affect other World Cup matches.
Qatar were initially pencilled in to play Ecuador on Monday, November 21, in the third match following on from the Senegal and the Netherlands fixture and England’s clash with Iran…
