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By Ivan Calvin Sharpe @CalvinIvanShar2
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is scheduled to commence on Sunday November 20 with an opening ceremony in Qatar. The host nation will start their campaign against Ecuador at Al Bayt stadium in the city of Al KHOR. This first FIFA Worlds Cup to be hosted in the Middle East will also bring a few changes to the game.
For one, the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar will have a new semi-automated offside technology.
“Semi-automated offside technology is an evolution of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system that has been implemented across the world,” says FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Another innovation is the option for a team to make up to five substitutions in every game instead of the usual three. The International Football Association board announced this decision in June. The shift from three to five substitutions per game was originally done to protect players during the COVID-19 pandemic and was widely adopted in club football. This change will provide managers with an added tactical tool to use during the World Cup.
Following this five Subs rule, teams are therefore allowed to have a 26-man squad instead of the usual 23. The expansion of squad was experimented at the European Championship and Copa America respectively. This was done to provide teams with moving space in case of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Also new in the Qatar FIFA World Cup games will be female referees officiating. Starting modestly, FIFA has allowed three women to be part of 36 referees for the tournament: Yamashita Yoshimi from Japan, Salina Mukansanga from Rwanda, and Stephanie Frappart from France. In addition, Neuza Back, Karen Diaz Medina and Kathryn Nesbitt also head to the World Cup as three of the 69 assistant referees.
Black Stars coach Otto Addo set to announce squad
Meanwhile, the Ghana Black Stars team is expected to be made of most of the players who featured during the international friendlies against Brazil and Nicaragua. However, the Dortmund-trained manager Otto Addo is expected to include some new names in his team.
According to GHANASoccernet.com, Jeffrey Schlupp will be making a return to the team with the likes of Salis Samed and Kwabena Owusu all joining the squad.
Otto Addo is however expected to submit a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 55 names as required by FIFA.
Addo will submit his final 26-man squad list on Monday, November 14, 2022 six days before the kicks of the opening ceremony and match of the World Cup. FIFA will officially announce the final squads of all 32 nations to compete in Qatar on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
The Black Stars will open a training camp in Abu Dhabi in the UAE in the second week of November with the expectation of a full complement of selected players on FIFA’s deadline.
Ghana will begin their World Cup journey on November 24 with a crucial match against Group H favourites Portugal at the 974 Stadium in Doha.
The Black Stars will then play South Korea on November 28 and Uruguay in their final group match on December 2.