Sunday’s spherical of sixteen furnishings functions the 2018 international Cup winner, the modern African champion, and one of the Euro 2020 finalists.
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First up, reigning world Cup champion France faces Poland at the Al Thumama Stadium inside the early fixture earlier than arguably the spotlight of the day as England meets Senegal at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Euro 2020 finalist England comes in as heavy favorites having reached the World Cup semifinals in 2018.
History might additionally seem to prefer Gareth Southgate’s crew. England has faced African competition 20 instances, along with seven global Cup matches, and has yet to lose.
Despite the fact that African countries have lost eight in their nine global Cup knockout spherical games in opposition to EU sides, the lone exception became one that featured Senegal’s modern supervisor, Aliou Cisse.
The forty-six-year-old Cisse performed for Senegal in its victory over Sweden at the 2002 global Cup to reach the quarterfinals, only a few video games after having beaten 1998 winner France in the tournament opener.
And, in keeping with assistant supervisor Regis Bogaert, Cisse has been tapping into that experience beforehand of Sunday’s sport.
“when he talks he uses statistics and his very own experiences,” Bogaert told reporters, according to Reuters. “He changed into a part of that high-quality crew in 2002 and I assume the team certainly trusts him due to that experience he had as a player.
“Beating England would be an outstanding achievement, I don’t recognize how essential it would rate in comparison to the victory in 2002, which became critical as properly.
“If we can beat a team like England it sends out a completely strong message approximately the progress we’ve made.”
Senegal can be without key midfielder Idrissa Gueye, who’s suspended following yellow cards inside the group degree, and celebrity attacker Sadio guyé, who became ruled out for the Lions of Teranga in advance of the event with a knee harm.
Senegal may also be without Cisse, who has come down with contamination.
“He (Cisse) has been sick for a couple of days now and he allow us to take rate of schooling yesterday manifestly along with his instructions,” Bogaert instructed journalists.
“optimistically tomorrow he can be able to come and be on the bench with the players however we are positive at 10 p.M. He will be there with the group.”
The qualification of Senegal and Morocco for the remaining 16 of Qatar 2020 marked simply the second time that two African groups have reached the knockout tiers.
“The final results of the group degree suggest the quantity to which greater international locations have received the equipment to compete at the best stage,” stated FIFA’s leader of global football improvement Arsène Wenger.
“This is the result of higher practice and evaluation of the warring parties, which is also a mirrored image of an extra equal get admission to generation. It is very plenty consistent with FIFA’s efforts to grow soccer’s competitiveness on a global scale.”
England finished top of its organization, twice winning convincingly in opposition to Iran and Wales and drawing with the united states guys’ countrywide group.
Even though megastar striker Harry Kane has but to attain for England, Southgate’s team has nevertheless scored 9 desires in those three matches, with high-quality contributions from Marcus Rashford, Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka.
“Senegal might be tough,” Southgate stated, in keeping with Reuters. “They’re very well organized, they’ve been given a variety of correct character players playing in massive European leagues and their expectancies now will upward thrust.”
In Sunday’s first recreation, France will face Poland for a place within the last eight in Qatar.
France, who booked its ticket for the knockout stages after two wins in as many video games, looked amazing during the institution degree, notwithstanding injuries piling up.
It faces a Poland aspect spearheaded by Robert Lewandowski, the country’s all-time pinnacle goalscorer.
However, France train Didier Deschamps says Poland possesses many greater threats than just the Barcelona striker.
“They’ve had to protect plenty within the group degree and that they defended very well. They find it irresistible, but they’re no longer only a shielding team – just observe who they have up front,” Deschamps instructed a news conference, in step with Reuters.
“but there’s greater. They have a spine of players with outstanding international experience, with Kamil Glik, Piotr Zieliński, Grzegorz Krychowiak, and some children who’ve shown they have been as much as the task. They need to be right here.”
When and in which
France vs. Poland: 10 a.M. ET at the Al Thumama Stadium.
England vs. Senegal: 2 p.M. ET at the Al Bayt Stadium.
How to watch
US: Fox sports
United Kingdom: BBC or ITV
Australia: SBS
Brazil: SportTV
Germany: ARD, ZDF, Deutsche Telekom
Canada: Bell Media
South Africa: SABC
