FIFA 2022 World Cup: Protest Kits, Sobering Tents and Football Fans Unable to Watch Games On TV in Qatar
We are now less than a month away from the football festival that is the FIFA World Cup, and a day does not go past without some interesting news and gossip that will almost certainly have an impact on your World Cup betting plans, so let us key you in on the important information ahead of the finals in Qatar.
Liverpool Star Out of the World Cup
Portuguese attacker Diogo Jota will miss out on the World Cup finals after suffering a calf injury during Liverpool’s narrow 1-0 win over Manchester City. The 25-year-old was taken off on a stretcher, and as expected, he’ll spend some months out for both club and country.
“Really not good news, yes he will miss the World Cup,”
“Pretty serious injury in the calf muscle, and now the process starts. That’s it pretty much.” Stated Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp.
“All the rest will now follow in the next few days. Very sad news for the boy, for us as well, and for Portugal… I don’t want to put a time on it [his return]. It will be a long time.” Klopp added.
Jota moved from Wolves to Liverpool in September 2020 and has racked up 34 goals in 93 appearances. The adaptable forward has 29 national team caps for Portugal and has scored ten goals, and would have been a key part of Fernando Santos’s World Cup plans.
Chelsea’s World Cup Winner to Miss Out On Finals
Another top Premier League talent, Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, is also out of the World Cup finals next month. The 31-year-old recently had an operation on his hamstring after he suffered an injury against Tottenham in August.
The combative midfielder was a vital member of Didier Deschamps’ 2018 World Cup success, and the former Leicester City man has made 53 appearances for the national team set-up since his debut in 2016.
Another Blues star who looks likely to miss the World Cup is wing-back Reece James, with the England international picking up a knee injury during Chelsea’s win at AC Milan earlier in the month.
The right-back would have most likely been Gareth Southgate’s starting option, and the England coach is also sweating over the fitness of both Man City’s Kyle Walker and Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are also both sidelined.
Brazil at Number One
Former Bolton legend Jay-Jay Okocha isn’t confident about the chances of any African nations performing well in Qatar. Okocha made 73 appearances for Nigeria over the course of his playing career and played at each of the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups, but he feels that the odds are stacked against African teams in 2022.
“It is the first time I’m not confident about Africa’s chances in the World Cup.”
“If you look at Asia and North America, they seem stronger and more advanced than us.”
“We were already 50 paces behind South America and Europe, and now North America and Asia seem to be ahead of us.”
“We have hopes in Senegal and Morocco; they seem the strongest. Tunisia, Ghana, and Cameroon seem to be a stepping stone for other teams to reach the knockout stages,” Okocha concluded.
England WAGS Set for Cruise Liner Stay
The England national team’s wives and girlfriends will reportedly spend the tournament aboard a luxury cruise liner that will be docked during the tournament.
The English FA had decided to separate the WAGs from their playing partners, who are staying at the Souq al Wakra hotel near Doha.
No doubt the press will be looking to capture as many shots as possible of the player’s wives and girlfriends, and reportedly both Jordan Henderson’s wife, Rebecca Burnett, and Raheem Sterling’s fiance, Paige Milian, will be staying on the four-star Poesia cruise liner.
One wonders if this move to avoid distraction to the England national team set-up will aid their World Cup betting odds, where they are currently listed at around fourth or fifth favourites to win the tournament.
