2022 World Cup: Qatar beaten by Ecuador at opening of competition

Ecuador won 2-0 against the host country thanks to a double of his captain enner Valencia. The Qatari, little inspired, were not up to the event.

by Florian Lefèvre

It’s new and Qatar would have gone well. For the first time in the history of the World Cup, the host country lost during the opening match of the competition. The country of the Gulf conceded a clear defeat, 2-0 facing the Ecuador, Sunday, November 20, on the lawn of the Al-Bayt stadium, in Al-Khor. Qatar never seemed able to compete with the South American selection during this first meeting of the World Cup.

From the 3 e minute of play, Qatar was picked cold, by taking a goal to give Valencia following a hazardous outing of his goalkeeper. Before being saved by an offside reported a posteriori thanks to video assistance. It took a few centimeters, impossible to distinguish at real speed.

The first sporting controversy of the competition? Enign Valencia sweeps the question. A few minutes later, the captain of “the sorting” caused a fault of the opposing goalkeeper in the surface and takes care of transforming the sanction by taking the goalkeeper on the wrong foot (0-1, 16th).

Qataris dominated in all game compartments

The attacker, who plays in club in Fenerbahçe, in Turkey, definitively becomes the man of the match when he doubles a whim as powerful as it is difficult to execute, at the reception of a center Coming from the right, half an hour of play (0-2, 31st). Only downside for the double scorer: hit with a knee at the end of the first period, he went out by boxing at the end of the match.

Overall, the Qataris were dominated in all the compartments of the game. Alone in the surface facing the goalkeeper, Almoez Ali still spoiled a great opportunity on the last action of the first period. Unable to reverse the trend, his team will end the meeting without the slightest shot on his credit. 2-0, final score.