Qatar coach Felix Sanchez insisted his team felt the backing of the home crowd despite supporters leaving in droves in the second half of their 2-0 defeat by Ecuador on the World Cup 2022’s opening night.
The Al Bayt Stadium had been a riot of noise and colour during the opening ceremony and even during the first half but Enner Valencia’s double clearly punctured the enthusiasm of the home fans, and with 10 minutes to go the stadium was virtually empty.
