World Cup 2022: Qatar v Ecuador Betting Preview & Odds
The World Cup gets underway, with the host nation Qatar looking to start the tournament in style against Ecuador. Qatar has not played in the World Cup qualifiers since 1971 and has never appeared in the World Cup. Their opponents Ecuador have played in three World Cups. Their best result was reaching the Round of 16 in 2006.
After a delay of many months due to the summer heat in Qatar, the World Cup first game group stage game will see Qatar take on Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium. We highlight players to watch and bets to consider.
Qatar v Ecuador Betting Odds and Markets
The most popular markets are the full-time result or the over/under. See the latest odds on offer in the tables below.
Full-Time Result
| Qatar | Draw | Ecuador |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2 | 23/10 | 11/10 |
As you can see above, bookmakers feel it will be a losing start for the host nation, and 888sport are offering 5/2 for Qatar, 11/10 for Ecuador, and the draw is available at 23/10.
Qatar’s recent form is decent, winning two (Honduras 1-0 and Guatemala 2-0), drawing two (Chile 2-2 and Jamaica 1-1) and losing 0-2 against Canada. However, Ecuador is unbeaten in five, with wins against Cape Verde (1-0) and Nigeria (1-0) and draws against Mexico (0-0), Saudi Arabia 0-0), and Japan (0-0).
Over/Under Market
| Goals | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 | 6/5 | 4/6 |
It’s quite tight in the over/under-betting market, and that is understandable. For Qatar, only one of their last five has seen more than 2.5 goals (Chile 2-2), and none of Ecuador’s last five has seen three goals or more scored.
Players to watch – Qatar:
Akram Afif (Akram Hassan Afif Yahya Afif) is the player that is likely to shine for the home nation. The 25-year-old plays his club football at Al-Sadd. Largely regarded as one of the best players in Asia, Afif has had a torrid time with injuries and a rumoured fallout with Xavi towards the end of the coach’s Al Sadd spell. However, in recent months he has gotten back to fitness and impressed in friendly games. He is a handful for any defender and is Qatar’s main goal threat in the team.
Players to watch – Ecuador:
Ecuador is likely to field one of the youngest teams at the 2022 World Cup and rely on the country’s senior players, such as Angel Mena, Robert Arboleda, and Carlos Gruezo, to add experience to the team. A player to watch is Moises Caicedo, who left Independencia del Valle in 2021 to join Brighton, which plays in the English Premier League. The 21-year-old had played 12 games before the World Cup break and scored in Brighton’s 5-2 win over Leicester in September.
Match Prediction: Qatar 2-1 Ecuador
Qatar will be keen to get off to a winning start in front of their fans, and we feel they have more attacking flair than their opponents, so we predict a narrow win. They are, however, vulnerable at the back, so we expect over 2.5 goals and both teams to score.
Qatar v Ecuador, Group A, Al Bayt Stadium. Kick-off is at 4 pm (UK time).
Qatar Squad: (provisional) Meshaal Barsham, Salah Zakaria, Saad Al-Sheeb, Tarek Salman, Pedro Miguel, Bassam Al-Rawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed, Musab Khoder, Karim Boudiaf, Ahmed Fadel, Jassem Abdulsallam, Abdulaziz Hatem, Mohammed Waad, Mustafa Mashaal, Ali Asad, Akram Afif, Abdelrahman Moustafa, Khalid Muneer-Mazeed, Hasah Al-Haydos, Ismaeel Mohammed, Naif Al-Hadhrami, Almoez Ali, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Mohammed Muntari.
Ecuador Squad: (provisional) Hernán Galíndez, Moisés Ramírez, Robert Arboleda, Pervis Estupiñán, Ángelo Preciado, Piero Hincapié, Xavier Arreaga, Félix Torres, Diego Palacios, Byron Castillo, Jackson Porozo, Carlos Gruezo, Ángel Mena, Jhegson Méndez, Gonzalo Plata, Moisés Caicedo, Romario Ibarra, Alan Franco, José Cifuentes, Jeremy Sarmiento, Alexander Alvarado, Dixon Arroyo, Enner Valencia, Michael Estrada, Leonardo Campana, Jordy Caicedo, Djorkaeff Reasco.
You can learn more about placing World Cup bets on our World Cup betting page. In addition, our blog section will bring you all the latest World Cup news, so check back often. Use our World Cup Squad Builder to pick your best starting 11 and learn more about each squad playing at the 2022 World Cup.