Qatar press slam ‘nightmare start’

Qatari media laid into a "weak" performance by the national team on Monday after the hosts' much-heralded World Cup debut ended in a tame 2-0 defeat by Ecuador.

Any buzz from the opening ceremony soon fell flat as Qatar shipped two goals in the first half, with thousands of fans leaving Al Bayt Stadium well before the game had finished.

While Qatar's press praised the opening ceremony, which included US actor Morgan Freeman and a severely disabled Qatari man, they were critical of coach Felix Sanchez's team.

It was a grim evening for Qatar's team, the Asian champions who had been preparing for their big moment for years, backed by no-expense-spared facilities and coaching.

"It was always going to be a tall order for Qatar but the manner in which they crumbled against Ecuador would have disappointed the home fans," said the Gulf Times, an English-language daily. "Ecuador -– 44th in the FIFA rankings -– are only six places above Qatar, but last night they showed they are miles ahead of the Asian champions."

The Qatar Tribune praised the "extraordinary" opening ceremony but lambasted a "nightmare start" by the team.

Al Sharq said fans walked out "because they couldn't bear seeing the loss". But it added: "Fans should support the team in the next game against Senegal until the last moment."