Enner Valencia eases Ecuador to opening-game win over Qatar

Qatar's World Cup party fell flat on the opening night as a brace from Ecuador captain Enner Valencia condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.

The tiny Gulf state was desperate to get off on the right foot from a sporting perspective, after years of criticism over the award of the World Cup to the country.

But Valencia’s first-half double – a penalty and a perfectly placed header – proved too much for the hosts, who face even trickier tasks next up against Senegal and the Netherlands.

Felix Sanchez’s Qatar side are the reigning Asian champions, and can probably claim to be the most well-drilled side at the tournament, with all the squad home-based and having played 11 friendlies since July alone.

However, they became the first hosts to lose the opening match in the tournament’s 92-year history on Sunday evening at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, with the venue looking noticeably less full when the second half got under way.

Ecuador thought they had taken an early lead when goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb twice flapped at a free-kick, Felix Torres acrobatically hooked the loose ball across goal and Valencia headed in from close range.

However, Italian official Daniele Orsato ruled it out after a marginal call against Michael Estrada from the new semi-automated offside technology being used at the tournament.

The hosts’ reprieve was short-lived though as Al Sheeb mistimed a challenge on Valencia in a one-on-one and tripped him in the box in the 15th minute. The former West Ham and Everton man made no mistake, calmly rolling the penalty into the right-hand corner.

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