Chinanews.com, Doha, November 21 (Reporter Xing Chong) The opening night of the World Cup may be a day of sorrow and joy for Qataris.
In order to welcome the arrival of the "Hercules Cup", the Qataris waited for 12 years.
A brand-new stadium rises from a desert. The Coastal Boulevard along the coastline of nearly 7 kilometers is almost completely decorated with various celebration elements. The grand fan square is already ready for the carnival on the opening night.
The opening ceremony took place at 5:40 pm local time.
The reporter set off from Doha at 2 o'clock and went to Howl Bay Stadium, a distance of about 60 kilometers.
The highway meanders above the desert, and usually there are few people. However, today the traffic volume has increased significantly. The reporter even encountered a traffic jam in Qatar for the first time.
The picture shows a fireworks light show near the fans square.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Cui Nan
Looking through the car windows, Qataris are either wearing purple home team jerseys or flying the Qatari flag on their cars. Almost every car is full.
Since the opening ceremony will be followed by the opening game, due to the limitation of the venue and other factors, the opening ceremony of the World Cup is far from being as exciting as the Olympic Games.
The ambitions of the Qataris are obviously not satisfied with a short opening ceremony. Creative director Marko Baliqi has already said that he will create an "unprecedented World Cup opening ceremony comparable to the Olympic Games".
At the Gulf Stadium that night, a magnificent performance with a very Arabian style really raised the level of the opening ceremony of the World Cup.
When the mascot La'eeb (Raib) based on the Arabian turban flies into the air, when the theme song "Dreamer" is sung, and when the giant emblem appears in the center of the field, it is the most exciting moment of the Gulf Stadium.
Qatar officials once said that everyone in the world who knows football can spell the name "Qatar".
At this moment, the eyes of the whole world are focused here, reflecting that this dream of the Qataris has become a reality.
The picture shows the pre-match ceremony for the debut of the Hercules Cup.
However, the opening game that followed became a pain in the hearts of the Qataris, and the Qatar team lost 0:2 to the Ecuador team.
In the first half, the Qatar team conceded two goals in a row, and many Qatari fans left the field at halftime.
In the second half, the Qatar team was unable to fight back and could only swallow the defeat in the end.
Throughout the game, Ali and Afif, the striker double stars who were given high hopes before the game, performed mediocrely. After years of running in, the defense made many mistakes, and the embarrassing statistics of 5 shots and 0 shots on target inevitably disappointed the fans.
At the post-match press conference, a Qatari reporter asked coach Sanchez this embarrassing question: "What do you think about the early departure of Qatari fans?"
"We have already felt the support of the Qataris. I hope the fans will continue to cheer for us in the next game. I believe they will support us until the last moment. I am sorry that I did not let them have a carnival tonight." Sanchez said.
The picture shows the 2022 World Cup opener in Qatar, Ecuador striker Enna Valencia scored a penalty kick.
The Qatari fans who stood by for the entire game finally left the field desolately, while the remaining Ecuadorian fans sang and danced in front of the Gulf Stadium to celebrate the victory.
When leaving, a local security guard chatted with the reporter. He said that the Qatar team will be playing at home for the first time in the World Cup. It is inevitable that there will be a lot of pressure and they should be encouraged.
The carnival of the grand opening and the pain of losing the first game may have kept the Qataris up all night!
(Finish)