Henry Roldán
We are getting closer and closer to enjoy a new edition of the FIFA World Cup and, of course, JefeBet will bring you the best predictions and previews of each one of the teams that will compete in the great event, including those countries that make up the Group H World Cup Qatar 2022.
Below, you’ll find the most important information about the group, which includes South Korea, Ghana, Portugal, and Uruguay, as well as who the favorites are to advance to the next round and what we can expect from each of them. Don’t miss it!
Odds provided by BetMGM.
Group H Predictions, Odds, and Betting Preview for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar
Group H will be the last group to see action on the first matchday of the 2022 Qatar World Cup when Uruguay-South Korea and Portugal-Ghana meet on Thursday, November 24.
Despite the fact that the betting odds are heavily favoring the talented Portugal and Uruguay to qualify for the next round, both Korea and Ghana have experience in making a splash at the World Cup and any slip-up by the former two will surely be taken advantage of to try to sneak into the Round of 16.
South Korea
- FIFA Ranking Position: 28.
- How did they get to the World Cup?: 2nd place in Group A (Third round) [AFC Qualifiers].
- Previous World Cup participations: 10.
- Odds to win the group: +900.
- Odds to qualify for the round of 16: +225.
With just two weeks to go before South Korea make their debut, the team coached by Portugal’s Paulo Bento is on tenterhooks over the condition of star player Heung-min Son, who is recovering from a facial surgery that hasn’t allowed him to confirm yet his presence in the tournament.. The Tottenham player is the life and soul of a team that is characterized by a fast and vertical play, and that needs him to exert some kind of pressure on their opponents.
Although in 16 games in the Asian qualifiers they allowed just four goals, the Taegeuk Warriors’ defense is their weak point, so not having a quality attack would put them in a lot of trouble. It’s worth remembering that the Koreans have a lot of experience at this stage, having participated in a World Cup for the tenth consecutive time and are the Asian team with the most appearances in history, with 11 in total.
Ghana
- FIFA Ranking Position: 61.
- How did they get to the World Cup?: 1st place in Group G [CAF Qualifiers] (defeated Ghana by away goals in the third qualifying round).
- Previous World Cup participations: 3.
- Odds to win the group: +900.
- Odds to qualify for the round of 16: +240.
One of the biggest unknowns in this group is what Ghana will be able to do. The African team will be competing in its fourth World Cup and has always posed a threat to its opponents due to its physical strength. The difficulty is that this strength has occasionally turned against Otto Addo’s team, as many of them lack the mental fortitude to capitalize on it, and expulsions are the order of the day.
The key for the Black Stars lies in their quality and strength in midfield, led by Thomas Partey, as well as what two promising young players can do up front: Mohammed Kudus and Iñaki Williams. As for their weaknesses, although they allowed only three goals in the qualifiers, the offensive power of these opponents doesn’t compare with the forwards they will face in Group H with countries such as Portugal and Uruguay.
Portugal
- FIFA Ranking Position: 9.
- How did they get to the World Cup?: Winner Path C [UEFA Playoffs]
- Previous World Cup participations: 7.
- Odds to win the group: -143.
- Odds to qualify to the round of 16: -476.
By history and quality, Portugal is the favorite to win Group H or at least qualify for the Round of 16 along with Uruguay. This is so despite the fact that Fernando Santos’ team, with one of the most talented rosters in the country’s history, earned its ticket to the World Cup by winning one of the European playoffs after being beaten by Serbia in the group stage and then eliminating North Macedonia in the final of the C path.
Despite the fact that he is not having the best moment of his career, all eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo. The striker has always proven his ability with his national team and will be very important for his team’s aspirations. The big absentee for Portugal is striker Diogo Jota; meanwhile, Joao Felix, Rafael Leao and Bernardo Silva are expected to showcase their talents alongside a strong defense that conceded just seven goals in 10 games during the qualifiers.
Uruguay
- FIFA Ranking Position: 14.
- How did they get to the World Cup?: 3rd place overall [CONMEBOL Qualifiers].
- Previous World Cup participations: 13.
- Odds to win the group: +200.
- Odds to qualify for the round of 16: -250.
The two-time world champions are one of the favorites along with Portugal to advance to the Round of 16, and they have the talent to do so. Diego Alonso, who took over for the legendary Oscar Tabárez on the La Celeste bench, will have plenty of material to change formations, as he did in the last four South American qualifier matchdays, where he used varied strategies depending on the opponent. This is undoubtedly a double-edged sword because of how quickly players must adapt to the changes.
For this edition, Uruguay will not only count on iconic names such as the forward duo of Luis Suárez and Edison Cavani, or captain Diego Godín, but it will also have a group of young talents who are succeeding in Europe at its disposal, such as Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Betancur, Darwin Núñez, José María Giménez and Ronald Araujo, the latter of whom is doubtful due to physical issues.
JefeBet Prediction
Group H will be tighter than many think, but at the end of the day Uruguay and Portugal will qualify for the next round. Both the South American and European teams have very high-level squads and a lot of young talent that shines in the best European leagues.
Ghana and South Korea are opponents to be feared and have proven it in previous editions of the World Cup. However, we wonder whether the African defense will be able to stop these elite strikers, and whether Heung-min Son will arrive in time to showcase his talent for the Asian team. These are important doubts to have regarding teams that depend on small details in this type of competition.
Group winner: Uruguay.
Runner-up: Portugal.
