By Blessing Nweke
Canada secured the first FIFA World Cup victory in its history with a commanding 6-0 win over Qatar in Group B on Thursday, as star forward Jonathan David scored a hat-trick in a memorable night for the tournament co-hosts.
Playing in front of a packed home crowd in Vancouver, Canada took control early and never looked back. Cyle Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute after reacting quickest to a saved effort from David. The Juventus striker then doubled the lead with a superb finish before adding two more goals to complete his hat-trick. Substitute Nathan Saliba also found the net, while Qatar defender Mohammad Mannai scored an own goal as the hosts cruised to victory.
The match turned increasingly difficult for Qatar, who finished with nine players after red cards to Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo. Madibo was dismissed following a challenge that resulted in a serious leg injury to Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone, who was stretchered off the field and taken for medical treatment.
Despite concern over Kone’s injury, the result marked a landmark achievement for Canada, which had never previously won a men’s World Cup match. The emphatic victory lifted the hosts to the top of Group B with four points from two games and significantly strengthened their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
Qatar, meanwhile, remained at the bottom of the group with one point and now faces a difficult battle to stay alive in the competition. Canada will next take on Switzerland in a match that could determine the Group B winner.
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