World Cup 2022: Enner Valencia’s Double Makes It An Opener To Forget For Hosts Qatar

There are matches that remain engraved in our memories. Others, we prefer to forget. The World Cup opener pitting Qatar against Ecuador ranks in the second category.

For their World Cup opener at the Al-Bayt stadium, the men of Félix Sanchez logically bowed to their opponents – Ecuador via a 2-0 margin.

Former Hammer Enner Valencia was the author of a double at the 16th , 31st minutes.

Courtesy the result, Qatar became the first host country in history to lose its inaugural match.

The state of the art Al-Bayt Stadium, ramped up with 60,000 had saw the VAR come to action in the first 3 minutes. Enner’s goal was disallowed for an offside that drew lots of talking points.

Enner Valencia however returned with a quick action in the area and he was charged down by goalkeeper Al-Sheeb resulting to a penalty.

The latter registered the tourney’s first goal from the penalty spot with finesse at the 16th minute.

The Fenerbahçe striker scored his second at the 31st minute with an unorthodox header from a cross by Angelo Preciado.

The bad result for Qatar places them in a delicate situation. Qatar face African champions Senegal next. The last group game will be played against the Netherlands, three-time World Cup finalists; 1974, 1978 and 2010. The immediate future for Qatar in the tournament seems to be bleak.