ALKHOR: At the Al Bayt Stadium here on Sunday, Ecuador easily defeated Qatar 2-0 in the first game of the FIFA World Cup.
Qatar had a poor start to their World Cup campaign right away and lost their first game, making history as the first host nation to do so.
Enner Valencia scored twice, once from the penalty spot and once with a header to give Ecuador the lead, leaving the team coached by Felix Sanchez trailing 2-0 at the interval.
At the Al Bayt Stadium, neither a miraculous comeback nor particularly impressive play by the hosts were to be seen. Now, Qatar's chances of progressing beyond Group A depend on their performances against Senegal and the Netherlands.
Ecuador put the ball in their goal after three minutes, giving Qatar's debut a poor start. In the fourth minute, Enner Valencia appeared to have given Ecuador the lead with a close-range header when Saad Al Sheeb, the goalkeeper for Qatar, was caught off guard.
Valencia's goal was disallowed, much to the amusement of Ecuador's players, after a protracted VAR review.
The lack of an explanation at the time left fans perplexed, but a replay later revealed that Michael Estrada's foot and knee were just slightly offside throughout the buildup.
After the first-half break, Qatar's situation did not significantly improve; Ecuador continued to pose a serious danger. Qatar, however, was able to fend off all of Valencia and Company's threats.
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