Ecuador Captain Enner Valencia Runs Riot Against Qatar In First Game Of 2022 World Cup

Ecuador captain Enner Valencia scored two goals against Qatar and had another disallowed inside the opening 32 minutes of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Al Bayt Stadium was abuzz with excitement after a star-studded opening ceremony had preceded kick-off in Al Khor.

But Valencia played the role of party pooper emphatically, much to the delight of one yellow corner of the stadium where the Ecuador fans were housed.

Ecuador captain Enner Valencia pictured after scoring the first goal of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

IMAGO/Belga/Bruno Fahy

It took Valencia less than three minutes to find the net for the first time, but his header following an acrobatic assist from Felix Torres was ruled out for offside following a long VAR review.

The decision to disallow Valencia's opener took a lot of viewers by surprise as he had not looked clearly offside to the naked eye.

But any conspiracy theories about the officials favoring the host nation were extinguished 10 minutes later when Ecuador were awarded a penalty kick for a foul by Qatar keeper Saad Al Sheeb.

Valencia had been the man fouled and it was he who stepped up to score the tournament's first goal.

The former Everton and West Ham forward struck again before the half-time interval when he headed home from a Angelo Preciado cross.