QATAR FIRST TEAM TO BE KNOCKED OUT

Qatar are the first team to be eliminated from the 2022 World Cup on home soil after just two games of their campaign. The tournament hosts slipped to a second successive defeat in Group A on Friday, losing 3-1 to Senegal despite a spirited effort. That loss came after they were beaten by Ecuador 2-0 in their group opener on Sunday and leaves them with no chance of qualifying for the knockout phase after Ecuador and the Netherlands played out a 1-1 draw. Qatar do still have one final game to come on Tuesday, though even if they managed to pull off a shock win over Netherlands, they can only finish on a total of three points, which is not enough to catch their group rivals. It is a disappointing end for Qatar, who hoped to galvanise the same spirit previous hosts have shown when holding the tournament.