Local press highlights Qatar’s “nightmare debut” at the World Cup

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Defeated by Ecuador in the opening game of the World Cup, the Qatar team made the front pages of local newspapers for their poor debut in their World Cup, while the opening ceremony was praised by the press.

Against Ecuador, Qatar failed to shine and was defeated by 2-0 and largely dominated in the first 45 minutes by Enner Valencia’s teammates, author of a double and who had another goal annulled in the first minutes due to a millimetric offside.

The Qatar Tribune newspaper points to “the beginning of nightmares” for the Qatar national team and the “nerves” of their goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb, author of a bad start in the disallowed goal and who committed a penalty in Valencia in the area shortly after 15 minutes of match.

“The task was difficult for Qatar, but the way they lost to Ecuador gave reason to disappoint the local fans,” the Gulf Times said on its website on Monday morning.

Gradually the stands were running out of fans during the game, until they ended up quite empty just before the opening whistle.

“Ecuador, 44th in the FIFA rankings, appears just six places above Qatar, but last night showed that they are well ahead of the Asian champions” of 2019, continued the newspaper that is published in English.

The same tone was used by The Peninsula: “After becoming the first host country to lose the opening match of the World Cup, Qatar will face the far from easy task of trying to reach the knockout stage”, reported the newspaper.

Qatar were “far from impressive in their World Cup debut”, contrary to the “spectacular” and “dazzling” opening ceremony.

It was precisely this “brilliant” ceremony that occupies the front page of the Qatar Tribune newspaper, which highlights the adjective “Extraordinary!” in its edition this Monday.

For about thirty minutes, the host country hosted a ceremony reminiscent of the Olympic Games, with American actor Morgan Freeman as the narrator and a member of the famous K-pop group BTS as the protagonist.

A “global contemporary show that conveyed an important message from Arabs to the entire world”, according to the Qatar Tribune.

“A celebration of football in an Arab atmosphere on a global platform,” said the secretary general of the Organizing Committee, Hassan Al-Thawadi. “Nothing is impossible for us,” he said.

“I think what the world has seen today through the opening ceremony of the World Cup is the best answer for the skeptics,” he added.

The director general of the World Cup, Nasser Al-Khater, for his part, was satisfied with the fact that the opening ceremony went as smoothly as possible.

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