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Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Sport

Valencia double helps Ecuador coast past hosts Qatar in World Cup opener

Ecuador's players acknowledge their supporters after wining the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group A football match between Qatar and Ecuador at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, on Sunday. (AFP photo)

AL KHOR, Qatar: Ecuador eased past World Cup debutants Qatar 2-0 on Sunday with first-half goals from veteran striker Enner Valencia in a one-sided affair that was the first opening game defeat for a host nation in the tournament's history.

Ecuador's all-time top scorer, nicknamed "Superman" at home, scored an early penalty and added a well-taken 31st-minute header to give the South Americans a commanding first-half lead as the home nation froze with the enormity of the occasion.

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