Thousands of Qatar fans leave stadium at half-time during their World Cup opener against Ecuador
Football
By
Odero Charles
| Nov 20, 2022
Qatar supporters were clearly unimpressed with the hosts' 2-0 defeat to Ecuador in their World Cup opener on Sunday.
Captain Enner Valencia found the net inside three minutes, although that goal was controversially disallowed for offside.
The host looked nervous and struggled against an opposition possessing experience and quality.
Valencia then scored an early penalty and added a well-taken 31st-minute header to secure the points.
With their side two goals down going into the break it emerged that all the pre-match excitement slowly drained away with thousands of fans leaving the Al Bayt stadium during the interval and did not return for the second half.
?? Qatar became the first host nation ever to lose their opening game of the World Cup
and the fans didn't hang around to watch the end... pic.twitter.com/jOjzsAIzXQ- Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 20, 2022READ MORE
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Following the defeat, Qatar have become the first FIFA World Cup hosts to lose their opening match.
Qatar-Ecuador was originally due to take place on Monday as the third match of the first night.
Enner Valencia is the man of the moment! ?
He has scored each of Ecuador's last five goals at the #FIFAWorldCup
??? Watch on @BBCiPlayer, listen on @BBCSounds, get more on the @BBCSport app#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup - BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 20, 2022
Instead the hosts were in the spotlight and failed to live up to the occasion, becoming the first in 92 years to lose their opening game.
The first World Cup in the Middle East is a chance for Qatar, a tiny Arab country jutting out into the Persian Gulf, to showcase itself to the wider world. Its soccer team, playing at this level for the first time by virtue of hosting the tournament, couldn't live up to the moment as Ecuador captain Enner Valencia scored both goals in the first half.
The match took place after a colorful 30-minute opening ceremony - fronted by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and attended by powerful dignitaries including Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - that promoted inclusivity and mankind living "under one tent."