After the success during the European Championships in Krakow (Poles won third place), an even greater challenge awaits the Polish national team. Already on Saturday, the Polish amputees will start competing for medals at the World Championships played in Turkey. Poland is one of the favourites for a place on the podium.
The world’s best players are coming to a place where amputee football is loved. The final of the 2017 European Championships at the Besiktas Istanbul stadium was watched by 41,000 fans, and crowds also remained in front of the venue, as it ran out of seats in the stands. A crowd of thousands can also be expected this time.
Interest is already huge as the championship in Turkey promises to be the best tournament ever. Twenty-four teams from five continents will take part, the first time a World Cup qualifier has been held on each continent.
The Poles already face a very difficult task in the group stage. On Saturday, they will play against three-time world champion Uzbekistan. The Poles flew to Turkey with a very strong line-up. The team includes all the Euro 2021 bronze medallists as well as Krzysztof Wrona and Marcin Oleksy. Poland is in Group E and will face Spain, Uzbekistan, and Tanzania.
“Last training before the match against Uzbekistan,” Amp Futbol Polska wrote on Twitter and attached photos.
Ostatnie szlify przed meczem z Uzbekistanem ⚽
Cyfrasport pic.twitter.com/o6VQ2vHREO
— Amp Futbol Polska (@AmpFutbolPolska) September 30, 2022
The Polish team is listed among the favourites for the World Cup, but the Turks are most often mentioned as the main candidates for gold.