The 2022 FIFA World Cup began on Sunday. Although the host team lost 0-2 to Ecuador, Qatar invited the world to unite and shed differences to enjoy soccer’s best event together.
By
M YUNIADHI AGUNG AND M IKHSAN MAHAR from Doha, Qatar
·6 minutes read
AP/ THANASSIS STAVRAKIS
Fireworks flare at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup football party at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Sunday (20/11/2022). A total of 32 countries are taking part in the football match which will last until December 18, 2022
DOHA, KOMPAS — Negative issues against the 2022 FIFA World Cup raised by the Western world were wiped out at the opening ceremony, which took place on Sunday evening (20/11/2022) Western Indonesia Time (WIB) at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor city, Qatar. The public was happy and cheerfully welcomed the biggest football tournament.
A week prior to the opening, Qatar was a target of bad publicity, such as the rumored presence of paid spectators, the alleged bribing of Ecuadorian players by Qatar’s national team and the protests against the ban on alcoholic drinks on the tribunes. The allegations were disproved with the national team’s 0-2 loss to Ecuador in the opening match.
Qatar responded to criticism by presenting an opening ceremony capable of entertaining tens of thousands of spectators at Al Bayt. In his opening speech, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani hoped all individuals would unite and put aside differences to enjoy the matches of the best teams in the 2022 World Cup.
Tamim revealed that Qatar had strived to the maximum for 12 years in preparation for the 2022 World Cup. “We share pride and happiness that people can put aside what divides them to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together,” said Sheikh Tamim on Sunday evening.
Specifically, the Emir of Qatar hoped all participants and players appearing in the World Cup would fully uphold sportsmanship. He also assured the security of convenience of all parties coming to Qatar.
“I welcome everyone and wish all of you good luck,” he added.
The people of Qatar also showed high enthusiasm in welcoming the first World Cup in the Middle East. The Al Bayt Stadium tribune began filling in at 4 p.m. (8 p.m. WIB), three hours before the opening game kick-off between Qatar and Ecuador.
Qatari citizens carrying national flags and wearing traditional costumes packed the stadium tribune with a capacity of 60,000.
The majority of Qatari men wore a thobe, a white robe that covers their ankles. They did not fail to use a ghutra, a loose white headdress complete with a black band over it to keep it in place.
The women of Qatar at the stadium mostly wore an abaya, a black robe. They also adorned their heads with a headgear called a shayla.
KOMPAS/YUNIADHI AGUNG
Residents of Doha, Qatar, watch the opening match of the 2022 World Cup between hosts Qatar against Ecuador through a big screen in the tourist area of Corniche Beach, Sunday (20/11/2022). In that match, Qatar lost 0-2 to Ecuador.
Hundreds of supporters of Qatar on the north side of the tribune wore maroon Qatari jerseys, shouting yells.
The sight was quite a contrast with supporters of Ecuador on the southern tribune of Al Bayt Stadium. They wore yellow jerseys as a symbol of pride for the team called “La Tricolor.”
Despite the absence of the tradition of chanting yells as did the thousands of Ecuadorian fans on the southern tribune, the Qatari people roared as they watched their national team arrive at the stadium on a large television screen at the corner of the stadium.
They applauded cheerfully and waved their flags when they noticed the Emir of Qatar’s father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, appear on the VIP tribune. A moment later, a rumble was heard when the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim arrived with the president of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), Gianni Infantino.
Mutual understanding
The opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup lasted 30 minutes. The program started with a theatrical drama entitled “Leta ’arafo,” which means knowing each other.
The theatrical drama was filled with antidiscrimination messages, featuring an actor from the United States, Morgan Freeman, who presented the monologue for the introduction to the drama.
Soccer unites nations. It brings people and communities together
Freeman appeared along with Ghanim al-Muftah, a disabled youth of Qatar. Al-Muftah, the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup envoy, suffers from caudal regression syndrome. He was born without the lower half of his body.
“Soccer unites nations. It brings people and communities together,” said Freeman, closing the theatrical drama created by Qatari director Ahmed al-Baker.
Thereafter, a dance performance followed with a number of theme songs from previous World Cup renditions, including “Livin’ La Vida Loca” (from the 1998 World Cup in France), “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” (from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa) and ”Wavin’ Flag,” (also from 2010).
The dance was followed by a parade of World Cup mascots, starting from Willie, the 1996 World Cup mascot to La’eeb, the 2022 World Cup Qatar mascot inspired by the ghutra.
AP/ MANU FERNANDEZ
South Korean singers, BTS personnel, Jung Kook (left), and Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi perform at the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup football party at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Sunday (20/11/2022). Before appearing at the opening ceremony, Jungkook released the official song for the 2022 World Cup titled "Dreamers".
The show reached its climax when Jung Kook, a member of the South Korean boyband BTS, sang the World Cup theme song titled “Dreamers.” He sang a duet with Qatari singer Fahad al-Kubaisi.
Outside Al Bayt, there were several gatherings in the hub of Doha city to watch the opening ceremony and first match. Such activities were noticeable in the FIFA Fans Festival zone at Al Bidda Park and the Souq Waqif zone.
Meanwhile, thousands of Doha residents gathered at Corniche Beach, Doha, to watch the soccer match broadcasted on a screen. They walked from the nearest metro station and most of them came with their families.
The viewers zealously shouted yells and waved their flags to support the Qatar team. They enjoyed the game in a relaxed way by sitting on the grass. Some of them sought a better position by climbing onto the fences around the beach.
Defensive play
The happiness of the Qatari people was interrupted by their favorite team’s loss in its World Cup debut. The 2010 Asian Cup champions lost 0-2 to Ecuador. The host, playing cautiously and very defensively with five backs and two half-backs, could not counter the fast tempo of Ecuador.
The team, with minimum experience at the world level, was affected by stage fright. “[The players of] Qatar were indeed in difficulty of getting the ball,” said Dion Dublin, a former English player commented on the BBC during the progress of the match that was dominated by Ecuador.
AFP/ MANAN VATSYAYANA
Qatar goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb (blue jersey) tries to block the ball in front of his goal in the 2022 World Cup Group A soccer match between Qatar and Ecuador at Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Doha, Qatar, Sunday (20/11/2022). The 2010 Asian Cup champions lost 0-2 to Ecuador.
Qatar was caught off-guard by two goals following the brilliant performance of seasoned Ecuador striker, Enner Valencia. Valencia, a former player of the English club West Ham United, scored a goal in the third minute but was annulled by the referee due to a new technology, the Semi Automatic Offside Technology (SAOT), which was first applied in Qatar.
Ecuador players joyfully celebrated the quick goal. Referee Daniele Orsato did not directly annul the goal, but after listening to the input of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and viewing a rescreening of events before the goal, the foot of the Qatar player passing the ball to Valencia was clearly beyond the offside line.
“I would suffer from hypertension if VAR kept acting like this,” said Alan Shearer, an English legend, commenting on the Ecuadorian goal canceled by the VAR.
The Qatar team record is poor. They have become the first host to be two goals behind at half time. They were also the first host team that was defeated in a World Cup opening match.
“Qatar is incapable of equaling the physical quality and (high) tempo of Ecuadorian players. They were overwhelmed in the transition of the match,” said Alex Scott, a former English back. (BBC)
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