There is a story that encapsulated the haplessness of the England cricket team at the time. They hosted the 1999 World Cup and contrived to be knocked out of it before their official song was released.
The Qatar football team may be able to empathise. In effect, they have been eliminated from their own World Cup before 30 teams have kicked a ball. Not mathematically and, officially anyway, their destiny may remain in the balance when they face the Netherlands in their final group game. But the reality of being pooled with Senegal and the Dutch meant an opening date with Ecuador assumed still greater proportions.
