Valencia, Caicedo Lead Ecuador World Cup Squad

Valencia, Caicedo lead Ecuador World Cup squad (Image Source: IANS)

Quito, Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and veteran Fenerbahce forward Enner Valencia are among 26 players named in Ecuador's squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ecuador manager Gustavo Alfaro also included Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, Valladolid midfielder Gonzalo Plata and Caicedo's Brighton teammates Pervis Estupinan and Jeremy Sarmiento.

Absent was full-back Byron Castillo, who was the subject of a legal challenge to Ecuador's participation in football's showpiece tournament, reports Xinhua.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this month ruled that Castillo was eligible to play for Ecuador during qualifiers, dismissing a claim by the Chilean and Peruvian football federation that he was a Colombian national.

The court did, however, fine the Ecuadorian football federation (FEF) 100,000 Swiss francs (around 102,000 U.S. dollars) for submitting a document with "false information". Ecuador was also docked three points in its 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The South American side will begin the 2022 World Cup against hosts Qatar in the tournament opener on November 20 before meeting Senegal and the Netherlands in their other Group A matches.

Ecuador squad:

Goalkeepers: Alexander Dominguez (Liga de Quito), Hernan Galindez (Aucas), Moises Ramirez (Independiente del Valle);

Defenders: Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Felix Torres (Santos Laguna), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Angelo Preciado (Genk), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp), Diego Palacios (LAFC);

Midfielders: Moises Caicedo (Brighton), Carlos Gruezo (Augsburgo), Jhegson Mendez (LAFC), Alan Franco (Talleres), Jose Cifuentes, Angel Mena, Gonzalo Plata, Jeremy Sarmiento (Brighton), Romario Ibarra (Pachuca), Ayrton Preciado (Santos);

Defenders: Piero Hincapie (Bayer Leverkusen), Felix Torres (Santos Laguna), Robert Arboleda (Sao Paulo), Xavier Arreaga (Seattle Sounders), Jackson Porozo (Troyes), Angelo Preciado (Genk), Pervis Estupinan (Brighton), William Pacho (Royal Antwerp), Diego Palacios (LAFC);

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