England could find themselves on a slippery slope during their World Cup last-16 clash with Senegal.
That's because Doha is set to experience a rare downpour on Sunday when the Three Lions take on The Lions of Teranga at the Al Bayt Stadium, battling it out for a place in the quarter-final. Baking hot Qatar usually only gets a serious splurge of rain a couple of days each year, but the forecast reckons that there's 40 per cent chance of showers on Sunday.
According to the Daily Star, regional experts have suggested that the heavens could open when England kick off, potentially resulting in a thunderstorm. Gareth Southgate 's side have been preparing to face the heat out in Qatar, which averages less than 80mm of rain per year, often coming in a deluges such as what's expected this weekend.
So not used to the rain that over 24 hours in 2015, the Gulf state was subject to a drenching worth more than entire year's amount of rainfall. Doha's streets were flooded, and schools and shops had to close. Water also poured through the roof of the then-newly built £11billion Hamad International Airport and the ceiling of a mall collapsed.
As for the World Cup, we're yet to see any rain and a source close to the England camp said: "Nobody will complain if there is a shower during the game - unless it's rained off." If the Three Lions advance to the quarter-final stage, then they won't have to worry about the damp weather again, as no further rain is forecast.
That's a long way off for Southgate, though, as he's solely focussed on Senegal. "We know on the rankings we will be favourites - we've got to deal with that - but they're a very dangerous team," the England manager, 52, affirmed after Tuesday's 3-0 thrashing of Wales. "The first objective is achieved. To this point we’re really pleased. The big business starts now."
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Meanwhile, midfielder Declan Rice claims that every other team remaining in the tournament should "fear" the Three Lions, asking: "Why should we not be feared? I think other nations will always look at us and think about the quality we've got in the squad.
"If you look at our attacking players, there are world class, unbelievable talents across the board. Across the whole team. There are players who have played in the biggest games, won the biggest trophies. We are one of the biggest teams here," Rice added.
"What's so good about our group here is we’re all so supportive of each other. So it is probably a selection headache for the manager. Whoever he picks, I know everyone will be rooting for each other. It's about a real team effort now. If you want to get to the end you're going to need a full squad. We'll be really supportive of whoever the manager picks."
