Highlights:
- The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 saw Ecuador defeat Qatar 2-0.
- Many Qatar supporters left the stadium before the final whistle.
- Last week, Qatar banned the selling of alcohol inside World Cup stadiums.
On the opening night of the FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium, there were contrasting emotions after 90 minutes of play. As Enner Valencia’s team defeated Qatar 2-0, Ecuador supporters cheered and chanted for the availability of beer in and around the World Cup stadiums in the Arab country.
Fans of Qatar, on the other side, had to hunt for ways to ease their sorrow. The 70,000-seat stadium was decked for the first day of one of the most anticipated FIFA World Cups in the history of the sport, but many of them left before the final whistle, leaving many empty stands.
We want beer, chanted the loud Ecuador fans as the game came to an end. The sea of yellow, which demanded alcohol be provided to celebrate the team’s resounding victory in the Group A opening, was hard to miss.
Days after the FIFA World Cup organisers in Qatar forbade the selling of alcohol at the stadiums, Ecuadorian fans began chanting. The beer restriction was a recent addition to the guidelines because Qatar had previously stated that only a small number of beer vendors would be set up within the stadiums and on the stadium grounds.
Ecuador fans: "We want beer, we want beer!" LMAOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/kOa6nXSD03
— M•A•J (@Ultra_Suristic) November 20, 2022
On the other hand, attendees of the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha were permitted to consume alcohol. A similar fan event was also held in Dubai, equipped with large screens, beer, and other alcoholic beverages on a man-made island off the city’s thriving Marina district.
The Ecuadorian captain Valencia scored both goals on the opening night, easily outplaying Qatar on the field. Almoez Ali and Akram Afif, two widely respected forwards for Qatar, were upset by the team’s lack of the ability to consistently throw Ecuador’s defence in jeopardy.
Although Qatar was able to correct the damage in the second half, their lack of effort left their supporters dissatisfied as early as the opening day.
On one of the biggest evenings in the history of the Arab nation, Qatar’s Spanish coach Felix Sanchez admitted that he felt for the fans and that their frayed nerves led to their failure.
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Sanchez said, “I would say we felt bad (for our supporters. I hope in the next game they will be prouder.”
He further added, “I wouldn’t say we were naive. I would say this was about nervousness … maybe we had too many doubts.”
“I’d say we had sympathy for our supporters. I’m hoping they’ll be more proud in the upcoming game “said Sanchez.
We weren’t naive, I wouldn’t say. I would think that this was caused by anxiety; perhaps we had too many doubts “Added he.
On November 25, Qatar will meet Senegal, and Ecuador’s next Group A encounter will be against the Netherlands.