São Paulo – The 2018 FIFA World Cup is coming, and the first match of the tournament will feature an Arab team, Saudi Arabia, playing the home team, Russia, on June 14. Four out of the thirty-two national teams set to play the biggest soccer championship in the world are Arab – Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, which is one of the favorites.
Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt are representing North Africa. This will be Tunisia’s and Morocco’s fifth time playing a World Cup. Algeria was the sole Arab team in the last two editions (2010 and 2014).
Morocco competed in 1970, 1986, 1994 and 1998, and its best placing was 11th, in 1986. Back after 20 years away, it’s bringing a team comprising only six Moroccan players: Tagnaouti, Dirar, Banoun, Mendyl, Bouhaddouz and El Kaabi; rounding out the team are eight French, five Dutch, two Spanish, one Belgian and one Canadian player.
Tunisia played the Cup in 1978, 1998, 2002 and 2006. In 1978, it became the first African team ever to win a game in the event by beating Mexico 3 to 1. This was its best performance ever. Tunisian national team stars include strikers Wahbi Khazri of Rennes, Bassem Srarfi of Nice, and midfielder Elyess Skhri of Montpellier, all of which are French teams.
Egypt, one of the favorites, will be playing a World Cup for the third time. It had its debut in 1934, when it scored the first goal by an African team ever in a Cup, and then returned in 1990.
Its star player is Mohamed Salah (pictured above) of Liverpool, the British club that made it to the Champions League finals and lost to Real Madrid. During that game, the striker got injured on his right shoulder, but the Egyptian national team has confirmed that he will be in the Cup.
Saudi Arabia is competing for the fifth time, after playing in 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006. Its best result ever was making it into the round of sixteen in 1994, ultimately placing 12th. This time around, it is the only Middle Eastern team in the event. In 2002, the Saudi team was coached by Brazil’s Carlos Alberto Parreira. It lost all three first stage matches.
Besides coaching the Brazilian and Saudi teams, Parreira had stints with Kuwait, in 1982, and the UAE in 1990. This year, FIFA has named him coordinator of its Technical Study Group, tasked with picking the most valuable player who’ll be awarded the Golden Ball.
First stage
The opening match of the Russia World Cup will see the home team play Saudi Arabia for Group A on June 14. The Group also includes Egypt, which will play Uruguay on June 15. For the second stage, Russia and Egypt will play on the 19th, and Saudi will take on Uruguay on the 20th. On the 25th, Saudi Arabia will play Egypt and Russia will play Uruguay.
Morocco’s in Group B. It’s slated to play Iran on the 15th and Portugal on the 20th; Spain is also in this group. Tunisia’s in Group G, with matches scheduled against England on the 18th and Belgium on the 20th. Panama is also in this group.
Brazil
There’s a chance Brazil will play Tunisia during the quarter finals. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco are potential opponents only in the semifinals or finals. Brazil’s in Group E alongside Costa Rica, Serbia and Switzerland. Its first-stage games will be against Switzerland, on the 17th, Costa Rica, on the 22nd, and Serbia, on the 27th.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
