The South American outfit are building up for the tournament opener against hosts Qatar on November 20, but Iraq failed to qualify for the global event, having finished fourth in Group A of the AFC qualification.
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Ecuador will round off their preparations for the upcoming World Cup with a friendly against Iraq at Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid on Saturday. The South American outfit are building up for the tournament opener against hosts Qatar on November 20, but Iraq failed to qualify for the global event, having finished fourth in Group A of the AFC qualification. Ecuador were last in action in September, having played out a goalless draw against Japan in a friendly. The Asian outfit, meanwhile, suffered a 4-0 defeat to Mexico in a friendly on Thursday.Â
🔥 ¡Hoy juega nuestra Selección mundialista!
🆚 Irak
🏟️ Estadio CĂvitas Metropolitano, Madrid.
🕧 12h30 (ECU)
🏆 Amistoso Internacional
📺 @ElCanalDFutbol #HaremosHistoria pic.twitter.com/zVQh0fh11h— La Tri 🇪🇨 (@LaTri) November 12, 2022
Ecuador are drawn in Group A alongside Qatar, Netherlands and Senegal. After the opening game against the hosts, Gustavo Alfaro’s side will take on Netherlands on November 25 before facing Senegal in their final group fixture on November 29. La Tri secured a place in the group stages of the tournament courtesy of finishing fourth in the CONMEBOL qualification, having collected 26 points from 18 games. Meanwhile Ecuador have lost just one of their last 10 games across all competitions. La Tri’s last two friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Japan ended in goalless draws.Â
Iraq, on the other hand, got thrashed against Mexico in their latest outing on Thursday. The Asian outfit will also take on Belgium, Costa Rica and Venezuela in friendlies over the next 10 days. Usood Al-Rafidain have only ever qualified for the finals of one World Cup, which was way back in 1986. Meanwhile, this time around, Iraq were just three points away from third-placed UAE in the third round of AFC qualification. Jesus Casa was recently appointed as the national team’s new head coach , with the 49-year-old signing a contract for four years.
Ecuador probable starting lineup: Dominguez, Arboleda, Arreaga, Castillo, Palacios, Cifuentes, Franco, Gonzalez, Mendez, Estrada, Mena
Iraq probable starting lineup: Hassan, Faez, Younis, Adnan, Amer, Attwan, Bayesh, Qasim, Jabbar, Hussein, Abbas
Ecuador
| Opponents | Score |
| Japan | 0-0 (D) |
| Saudi Arabia | 0-0 (D) |
| Cape Verde | 1-0 (W) |
| Mexico | 0-0 (D) |
| Nigeria | 1-0 (W) |
Iraq
| Opponents | Score |
| Mexico | 4-0 (L) |
| Syria | 1-0 (W) |
| Oman | 1-1 (D) |
| Syria | 1-1 (D) |
| UAE | 1-0 (W) |
The international friendly match between Ecuador and Iraq will take place at Metropolitano Stadium on Saturday at 11:00 pm IST.
| Ecuador vs Iraq | Key details |
| Date | November 12 |
| Venue | Metropolitano Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Ecuador | 12:30 pm |
| Kickoff time in Iraq | 8:30 pm |
For the football fans in Ecuador, live telecast of the match will be available on Canal de Futbol. Meanwhile, those in Iraq can catch the live action via Al Iraqiya Sports.
