Qatar accused of bribing Ecuador players to lose first match

Qatar have been accused of bribing players from Ecuador's team to lose in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup.

The host nation have come under fire amidst the controversy surrounding the tournament, with former FIFA president Sepp Blatter calling the decision to award them the World Cup in the first place a 'mistake'.

According to Amjad Taha, the regional director of the British Middle East Centre for Studies and Research, the country has bribed eight Ecuadorian players $7.4m (£63m) to lose the opening game of the tournament.

The allegations add to the controversy of the tournament, with bribery accusations that have been rife since FIFA's original decision to award the World Cup to the Middle East country back in 2010.

Group A features the host nation, Ecuador, the Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal and European giants the Netherlands.

The 2022 World Cup begins on Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium as Qatar face Ecuador in the opening game of the tournament, followed by Senegal on November 25 and then the Netherlands on November 29.