• Ecuador will be striving for their best-ever performance, Enner Valencia
• On November 20, Ecuador will take on Qatar to start their World Cup campaign
• Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer with 35 goals in 74 games, expressed the team’s excitement for the competition’s opening game

When the World Cup begins in Qatar later this month, Ecuador will be striving for their best-ever performance, according to seasoned attacker Enner Valencia.

Ecuador has participated in three World Cups, with its best showing being at the 2006 tournament in Germany when they advanced to the round of 16.

The 33-year-old Fenerbahce star told FIFA’s official website, “We’re going to have a difficult group, but we know that if we stay confident, motivated and focused, we’re going to have our chances,”

On November 20, Ecuador will take on Qatar to start their World Cup campaign. They will also play the Netherlands and Senegal in Group A, according to Xinhua.

Valencia stated, “We know that we have to go step by step, we know that we have to think about our first match against Qatar,” Valencia said. “But we also know that we have a squad that will put up a fight.”  Valencia, one of Ecuador’s senior citizens, will compete in his second World Cup after taking part in the 2014 campaign in Brazil.

Through fourth place in the 10-team South American qualification group, Ecuador qualified for the competition.

Valencia, Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer with 35 goals in 74 games, expressed the team’s excitement for the competition’s opening game.

“It’s incredible to think that the eyes of the whole world will be on us,” the former West Ham and Everton attacker said. “We’re going to do our best to win. Qatar like to play with the ball but we’re going to study them to identify their strengths and weaknesses.”

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