Enner Valencia was the figurehead for Ecuador in a 2-0 win over Qatar in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup. The 33-year-old striker scored twice but set off alarms with a knee injury.
The Fenerbahce striker started the game with a goal before three minutes that was annulled at the request of the VAR for a millimeter offside, but he had revenge with a penalty at 16 ‘that became the opening of the scoring.
Valencia received the goalkeeper’s foul that resulted in the maximum penalty, he took charge of the execution to give the advantage to the South Americans and when the game was over half an hour he appeared again with a header that became 2-0 after a good cross from Angelo Preciado.
Everything was enjoyable for Gustavo Alfaro’s team until the striker felt a sore knee in the final stretch of the first half. The medical staff treated him off the field for a few minutes and then returned to the game with signs of pain.
The Ecuadorians breathed a sigh of relief when the scorer returned from the locker room to play the second half, but the pain never left the player and he ended up leaving at 77 ‘for the entry of José Cifuentes.
We will have to wait for the medical part of the Ecuadorian National Team to confirm Valencia’s injury, a key player for Alfaro ahead of the matches against the Netherlands and Senegal in Group A of the World Cup.