Ecuador denies Qatar a winning start
Last night, the emphasis was on Qatar as the hosts made their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM start at the Al Bayt Stadium. However, a powerful Ecuador took the spotlight immediately after the game began, leaving the majority of the 67,372 supporters unsatisfied after a stunning opening ceremony.
Enner Valencia scored both of Ecuador’s goals, and the La Tri captain might have had the first Qatar 2022 hat-trick if his third-minute strike had not been called out for offside by VAR. Qatar supporters were anticipating a far stronger performance from the Felix Sanchez-coached players, but they were disappointed as the South Americans dominated the whole affair.
In their historic meeting, the hosts failed to hit a single shot on goal, with strikers Almoez Ali, Abdulaziz Hatem, and substitute Mohammed Muntari all missing the target in rare tries.
“Ecuador outclassed us in all aspects of the game. Obviously, this was not what we were hoping for,” Sanchez told reporters after the loss yesterday.
After becoming the first home team to lose the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM opening match, Qatar faces a difficult task in reaching the knockout stage, as they will face African champions Senegal and the Netherlands in their final two Group A matches.
