Qatar got trolled brutally on Twitter for their shambolic display in the opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Sunday, November 20.
The hosts succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Ecuador as Enner Valencia bagged a brace for the South American side. He converted a penalty in the 16th minute and bagged his second goal in the 31st minute.
However, Felix Sanchez’s side failed to impress fans at all with their lackluster performances. Some even suggested that the Asian country is playing football for the first time.
Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter after Qatar’s loss to Ecuador:
The host country will next play Senegal on November 25. Ecuador, meanwhile, will take on the Netherlands next on the same day.
Qatar coach Felix Sanchez urged his team to focus on football ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Even before the start of the tournament, there have been many stunning claims about the Qatar football team and their integrity that have circulated. Felix Sanchez urged his team not to break a sweat on those and direct their focus at the performances on the pitch.
He said (via ESPN):
“I think there is a lot of disinformation. The internet is a great tool but it is also very dangerous from my point of view. For many years, we’ve been preparing, training. We are together we are strong and cohesive and nobody will be able to destabilise us with this criticism so we are not affected at all.”
Sanchez added:
“We are very excited motivated and happy to be playing our first World Cup. We are focusing on how to prepare the game, to control our emotions and we don’t take anything else into account. The best thing that can happen to a team or a footballer is to keep calm, avoid any sort of rumours and noise around you.”
He further said:
“Obviously we don’t like people criticising our country. In terms of football strictly, we had a great preparation ahead of the World Cup. All the players come here with the highest motivation and emphasis. Tomorrow, we will try to give a good performance and try to be competitive.”
They were unable to put on a convincing performance against Ecuador in the 2022 FIFA World Cup opener. Fans will keep a close tab on how Sanchez’s team performs in the next games.