In a 2-0 victory over the hosts Qatar on Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium, Ecuador won the first game of the FIFA World Cup thanks in large part to two goals from Enner Valencia.
After a stunning opening ceremony witnessed by 67,372 spectators, the home team was far from remarkable in their first World Cup play as the South Americans continued to dominate in the one-sided contest.
After having his third-minute goal turned down by VAR for offside, Ecuador captain Valencia scored the first Qatar 2022 goal off a penalty in 16th minute, adding another from a brilliant header in the 31st minute.
Almoez Ali, Abdulaziz Hatem, and substitute Mohammed Muntari all missed their targets in rare attempts for Qatar, which was hardly a threat to Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez under the guidance of Felix Sanchez.
Qatar faces a difficult task in their attempt to advance to the knockout stage after becoming the first home team to lose the World Cup opener as they will face African champions Senegal and the Netherlands in their final two Group A games.
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