TheCable

England’s latest quest for major tournament glory began with an emphatic victory in their World Cup opener against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The English team cruised to a 6-2 victory over Iran with Bukayo Saka hugging the headlines.

Here are the highlights of Day 2 which also featured a feisty encounter between Senegal and the Netherlands as well as the 1-1 draw between Wales and the United States of America.

Harry Kane the playmaker

Striker Harry Kane showed the other side of his game by largely dictating the play. Throughout the match, he was always dropping deep to support other departments, constantly spreading passes and causing problems

The England skipper provided assists for Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford.

Reliable Bukayo Saka

Saka was the name on the lips of fans and commentators as he brought his fine form to the World Cup.

After notching four goals and six assists for Arsenal in the English Premier League this season, the winger registered two goals for England in the win over Iran.

The 21-year-old is carving out a fine reputation for himself.

Jude Bellingham was an absolute beast

The Borussia Dortmund youngster was up and down the middle of the park like nobody’s business and was a constant danger.

The midfielder has proven to be a nightmare for opposition defenders. He scored a goal in the game against Iran.

Beer makes its way to the stadium

In the run-up to the World Cup, there were fears that fans would not be able to enjoy beer and other alcoholic beverages, especially after Qatar unsurprisingly announced that beer would not be on sale during matches.

The regulation however lasted for only two matches as fans were seen posing for pictures with their alcoholic drinks while awaiting the start of Senegal’s match against the Netherlands. Qatar would need to do a lot more to stop the Europeans from enjoying pints of beer while watching their favourite sport.

More injury woes

Several high-profile players have seen their tournament hopes go up in flames no thanks to injuries. Notable among them are Karim Benzema and Senegal’s Sadio Mane.

The situation has spilled over into the competition proper with Harry Maguire getting injured in England’s 6-2 win over Iran while Cheikhou Kouyate was also stretchered off for Senegal in their 2-0 loss.

Who is next?

Mendy unravels for Senegal

Just over a year ago, Edouard Mendy was being hailed as one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe but the Senegalese goalkeeper has seen his stock crash in recent months following a spate of errors for both club and country.

The 30-year-old continued the poor form that saw him replaced as first-choice goalkeeper in London with two gaffes against the Netherlands.

Mendy misjudged a cross to allow the first goal before gifting a rebound for the second goal. An early exit for Senegal and a torrid future for Mendy, perhaps? Time will tell.

Weah’s son shines as Bale saves Wales

Gareth Bale ensured his side did not lose their first World Cup game in 64 years as he dispatched a well-taken penalty in the game against the USA.

The penalty came in the second half after Tim Weah, son of George Weah, had scored a superb first-half goal for the Americans. George Weah was reportedly in Qatar to watch his son play in a tournament he was never able to feature in.