Qatar become first hosts to lose the opening World Cup match
The good news just keeps on coming for Qatar, doesn't it?
And you really can't see them avoiding defeat to Senegal and the Netherlands unless they seriously improve. Could they end up being the worst hosts ever? Worst performance by a host nation at the World Cup?
Qatar are really struggling out there at the moment, with Ecuador well in control. The hosts are ranked 50th in the world, with Ecuador at 44th, but the gulf in quality between the teams looks a lot more than six ranking places. Possibly Qatar just need time to warm up, but from this point it looks likely they’ll be losing this match. They will then go on to play the Netherlands and Senegal.
Qatar may come good in those games, but if they don’t, they run the risk of becoming the worst ever performing World Cup host. The current holder of that unenviable title is South Africa - they are the only host to fail to qualify for the knock-out stage, although they were extremely unlucky.
They drew their opening match against Mexico 1-1, were soundly beaten by Uruguay 0-3 and beat France (who had utterly fallen to pieces) in their final game 2-1. They finished third, level on four points with Mexico but went out on goal difference, with Uruguay winning the group.
On today’s performance Qatar look like they may struggle to even pick up a World Cup group stage point…
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