Qatar 2022 took off in sensational style yesterday!
The Opening ceremony of the biggest sporting spectacle in the world was a dazzling stage of bright lights, fireworks and colorful flags.
Al Khor’s Al Bayt Stadium buzzed with the excitement of foreign fans and optimistic locals as the eye-pleasing Arabic aesthetics of the arena, shimmered on our TV screens; shrewdly advertising the mesmeric beauty of Qatar.
One of the major highlights of the ceremony was the introduction of the tournament’s official mascot, La’eeb which means “super-skilled player” in Arabic according to FIFA.
Twitter went agog with comments as the distinctive deep voice of Academy Award winner, Morgan Freeman reverberated through the stadium. The Million Dollar Baby star made a shock appearance with a famous Qatari YouTuber Ghanim Al Muftah, a 20-year-old who suffers from Caudal regression syndrome.
BTS pop sensation Jung Kook and Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi wowed the world with a superb performance before Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani addressed attendees to “to put aside what divides them” The royal Prince encouraged the audience to embrace their diversity and immerse themselves in the ideology that no matter where we come from, we have one language in common and that’s football.
Ecuadorian hearts beat in one accord with their Arabian hosts as the much anticipated first game of the prestigious showpiece kicked off.
In just three minutes into the game, VAR attempted to spare the host nation’s blushes with a debatable decision. Ecuador’s captain, Enner Valencia’s goal was controversially judged to be offside to the relief of the locals, coach Felix Sanchez and his coaching staff.
However, there was nothing the video assistant referees could do about the tirade of attacks on the home side that followed. Moises Caicedo and his teammates brutally applied pressure and broke the dead lock when Enner Valencia stroked home a 16th minute penalty. The 33-year-old striker doubled his goal tally in the 31st minute to end the match as a contest.
It was the first time in the 92 years of the World Cup’s existence that the host nation’s team failed to win its opening game. Despite this embarrassing blemish forever engraved in the country’s sporting history, the wounded debutants can forever be proud of the cinematic opening ceremony that officially marked the first ever world cup in the Middle East.
What a beautiful bittersweet ballad!