Ecuadorian fans sent a message at the 2022 World Cup – and not just on the pitch.
South American fans made their presence known in the opening game of the tournament, creating chaos with their insolence. First, a section of Ecuadorians chanted “we want beer”, in reference to the ban on alcohol during the final, before a fan was filmed taunting the hosts of the Qatar with “money” hand gestures.
Now they have just started again. Ecuador’s place in the World Cup final was thrown into question when it emerged they had fielded an ineligible player, as Chile demanded their continental rivals. to be substituted in the tournament (opens in a new tab).
Two La Tri supporters were seen in the Khalifa International Stadium displaying a sign reading “Cuando juega Chile” – which translates to “When do Chile play?” before the Group A match, in reference to the drama.
After six minutes, Cody Gakpo opened the scoring with the first goal of the 2022 World Cup so far. The PSV striker reacted first after the ball was sent long downfield by Manchester City defender Nathan Ake to become the first player in the tournament to score in two separate tournament games.
Senegal beat Qatar 3-1 in the previous fixture and with Gakpo now on two goals for the competition, have a real chance of racking up their tally against the hosts to claim pole position for the Golden Boot in 2022.
Ecuador can eliminate Qatar from the tournament by winning a draw in this game.
