Fans in stitches after farcical start to Qatar vs Ecuador as ref kicks off early
Hosts Qatar faced off against Ecuador in the first match of the tournament on Sunday evening, shortly after the opening ceremony.
And moments before play got underway, a voice came over the Al Bayt Stadium as fans prepared to count down the beginning of the match from 10 to one.
But when it reached four, the referee decided enough was enough and opted to blow for the game to start.
It made something of a mockery of the planned countdown.
And fans on social media were quick to jump on the bizarre lack of communication between those organising the kick-off and the referee.
