The 2022 World Cup in Qatar kicked off on Sunday night as the host nation took on Ecuador after the opening ceremony, but it wasn’t the historic night to remember the Qatari fans and players were after.Saad Al-Sheeb was between the sticks for Qatar, but had a disastrous evening, conceding twice with VAR saving his blushes after a howler just minutes into the tournament.Enner Valencia became the highest-scoring Ecuadorian in World Cup history as he bagged a brace which included a penalty after Al-Sheeb tripped Valencia in another high-profile mistake from the ‘keeper.
Japan World Cup
Japan will get their campaign underway on Wednesday in the second game of the day, taking on Germany in the opening game of their group.
It will be a tall order for the Japanese side to make it to the knockout stages, not only do they have Germany in their group, but Spain are also in Group E, as are Costa Rica.
Don’t write off the Japanese team though, they could easily cause a shock with some high-profile players of their own such as Takumi Minamino, Daichi Kamada and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
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Japanese supporters show their class
Despite not playing, Japanese fans were in attendance to enjoy the opening game of the tournament, making sure they get the most out of their trip to Qatar by taking in as many games as possible.
However, after the final whistle, the Japanese supporters in the ground showed their class by clearing their rubbish as well as litter left behind by other supporters in the ground, giving the cleaning crews a much easier task.
You could see them collecting rubbish in big bin liners, as well as collecting all the Qatar flags and banners handed out for the fans of the host nation to try and create the best possible atmosphere. So fair play to the Japanese supporters for doing all that work, even though it wasn’t their litter in the main.
Video: Japanese fans clearing litter after opening World Cup game – Qatar 0-2 Ecuador
One of the fans who were caught on camera said: “Japanese never leave rubbish behind, we respect the place.†Whilst another helper added: “Not for the cameras.†When prompted on the question.
The Japanese national team may have a few more supporters now, with the respect shown from their fans surely reciprocated, and what a story it would be should they get out of their group of death.