Ecuador will take advantage of this Thursday’s friendly, against Nigeria in New Jersey, in its eagerness to consolidate the team’s maturity and identity, thinking about the great challenge that the debut in the World Cup will have from next November of Qatar, against the host.
The intention of the Ecuadorian coach, Argentine Gustavo Alfaro, will be to achieve the necessary maturity and identity of his team, plagued by young figures, most of whom have been called up for the first time occasion to the senior team during the qualifying process.
Alfaro will have practically the entire squad with which he won the fourth direct ticket of the qualifying rounds to go to Qatar.
Against Nigeria, it will be the first of the six friendlies that plans to make the Andean team before the World Cup debut.
After facing Nigeria will do it next Sunday against Mexico, and on June 11 will close the first cycle of preparation against the Cape Verde team, while next September they will meet the other friendlies.
Although the call was made last Saturday, the team will only be completed this Wednesday, in some cases, due to personal inconveniences and, in others, due to the commitments of several players with their teams, but that was one of the difficulties that Alfaro had to face in the eliminatory rounds.
One of the team captains, midfielder Carlos Gruezo joined the squad at the last minute, after overcoming the covid-19, defender Byron Castillo also joined and attacker Jordy Caicedo was called up at the last minute.
Few experienced players from previous processes will be part of Alfaro’s team in these friendlies and also in the World Cup, such as the goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez, the defender Robert Arboleda, the midfielders Carlos Gruezo, Ángel Mena and the attacker Enner Valencia.
In addition to them, the figures of the moment of the Ecuador team are: the young Pervis Estupiñán, Piero Hincapié, Félix Torres; Moisés Caicedo, Jeremy Sarmiento, Gonzalo Plata, among other debutants with the senior team.
For its part, the Nigerian team began the new process less than a month ago, led by coach Portuguese José Peseiro who, after passing through the Venezuelan national team, replaced the past 16 from May to Augustine Eguavoen, dismissed as a result of not qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar.