Photo: Etzel Espinosa / Imago7
For: EFE
The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) provided this Sunday the names of a first group of 11 players summoned to integrate the national team that will face the next 27 from January to Brazil, in Quito, and five days later to Peru, in Lima, for the World Cup qualifiers in Qatar 2022.
“The selection will start tomorrow, Monday, his training sessions with 10 players at ‘La Casa de la Selection’, in Quito, ahead of the next double date of the South American qualifiers heading to the Qatar World Cup 2022“, the FEF said in a statement.
He also added that “ the list will be completed as the players finish their commitments with their clubs and can join the team’s concentration in the Ecuadorian capital “.
Although the FEF did not confirm the casualties of Ecuador for the double date, the clubs of defender Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo-BRA) and Enner Valencia (Fernerbhace-TUR) confirmed that, in the case of the former, he tested positive for covid-19, while the second presented symptoms of contagion, so they could be left out of the call.
The Bragantino club, from Brazil, has also reported that defender José Hurtado has not shown up for team training, because he has covid-19.
For the match against Brazil the coach of Ecuador, the Argentinian Gustavo Alfaro will be without defender Byron Castillo due to a one-game suspension, but he could reappear in the match against Perú, in Lima.
Alfaro has summoned for the first time defender Romario Caicedo, from Guayaquil from Emelec.
Ecuador occupies at the moment the third place in the position table of the South American qualifiers, with 23 points, six more than Colombia and Peru, which escort him in fourth and fifth place.