Enner Valencia scored two goals as Ecuador clinched the opening match of the FIFA World Cup, beating hosts Qatar 2-0 at the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday.
The home side was far from being impressive in their debut World Cup match as the South Americans remained dominant in the one-sided affair, following a spectacular opening ceremony attended by a total of 67,372 fans.
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 were off targets in rare Qatar attempts as the Felix Sanchez-coached side hardly posed a threat to Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez.
After becoming the first home team to lose the inaugural match of World Cup, Qatar face daunting task in their bid to reach the knockout stage as they will play against African champions Senegal and the Netherlands in their last two Group A matches.