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Football: Poland beat Chile 1-0 in World Cup warm-up

16.11.2022 20:30
Poland's national football team picked up a confidence-boosting 1-0 home win against Chile on Wednesday in a warm-up friendly game ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
Polands Krzysztof Piątek (left) in action against Chile in Warsaw on Wednesday night.
Poland's Krzysztof Piątek (left) in action against Chile in Warsaw on Wednesday night.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

Substitute striker Krzysztof Piątek scored the only goal of the match from close range in the 85th minute at the Legia Warsaw Stadium in the Polish capital.

Poland are ranked 26th worldwide by football's governing body FIFA, while Chile, who did not qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, are No. 29 in the FIFA table.

The Polish team on Monday started a training camp in Warsaw in preparation for the World Cup, which starts on November 20.

Manager Czesław Michniewicz last Thursday named his final 26-man lineup for the tournament.

The squad is led by Barcelona star striker Robert Lewandowski and includes other regulars such as Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, Napoli midfielder Piotr Zieliński, and Juventus forward Arkadiusz Milik.

The Polish team is scheduled to fly to Qatar on Thursday.

The 2022 World Cup kicks off on Sunday and runs until December 18. Poland take on Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Argentina in the group stage of the tournament.

Poland will open their campaign against Mexico at Stadium 974 in Doha on November 22.

Michniewicz's men will take on Saudi Arabia at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, near Doha, on November 26 and play Argentina at Stadium 974 in Doha four days later.

Meanwhile, Polish football fans heading for the World Cup in Qatar have been warned of strict alcohol regulations in that country.

Around 60,000 fans are expected to support the Polish team at the tournament in Qatar, according to news reports.

Poland failed to advance to the knockout phase of the 2018 World Cup in Russia after losing 1-2 to Senegal and 0-3 to Colombia in the group stage. Poland won their final game, beating Japan 1-0, but finished bottom of their Group H and made an early exit from the tournament more than four years ago.

Poland finished third in the 1974 World Cup in West Germany and were also third in Spain in 1982.

(gs) 

Source: TVP, IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl