Doha: Hosts Qatar woke up with mixed feelings after the 15th Asian Cup football championships had kicked off the night before at the magnificent Khalifa Stadium.
While most of the Arabic newspapers headlined the 2-0 of Qatar in the opener against Uzbekistan, the nation itself took pride as it took its first step towards the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
A slick opening ceremony, and a smooth conduct of the opening match which attracted nearly 40,000 spectators was only blotted by a few security issues and the Qatari fans leaving the stadium early.
"We are aware that there were some problems faced by some fans and the media. But this was only due to the heightened security as we had many VIPs attending the opening ceremony and the inaugural match," said a Local Organising Committee spokesman.
"However we have already spoken about this issue and we can promise you that from today onwards the fans can have a more relaxed and easy entry and exit from the stadiums," he added.
Another aspect which did stand out was empty seats much before the match was over.
"Well our fans were upset when Qatar conceded a goal and I am confident that in the next matches the team will receive full support," the Qatar Local Organising Committee spokesman said.
Qatari coach Bruno Metsu accepted responsibility for the defeat and apologised to the Qatari fans.
"We wanted to play well for the people, for everybody but we played a very bad game today. I'm sorry for the fans, for everybody but sometimes it is very difficult to play well right from the start of a tournament, particularly with pressure on the players," he said.
About Qatar's next game against China on Wednesday, Metsu said: "We need nothing but a win in the next match".
Uzbekistan added a new dimension and the Central Asians will now join a group of nations who are being tipped as favourites.
Despite his team's win, Uzbekistan coach Vadim Abramov said: "I'm very sorry for Qatar people because this was a big celebration for them," he said.
"The fact that we beat Qatar today will help us for the next game," Abramov added.
Uzbekistan play Gulf Cup champions Kuwait Wednesday.
What did you think of Qatar's performance against Uzbekistan? Is this loss a sign of things to come? Or do you think they will be triumphant in their upcoming match against China? Tell us what you think by posting a comment below.
