REPORT – Disappointingly, the Qataris lost at the opening of “their” World Cup on Sunday, while the atmosphere rose in the small emirate. Atmosphere that didn’t really boil in Al-Bayt stadium…
Special envoy to Qatar,
Qatar first! Eleven years after being awarded to the small gas emirate, the 22e The World Cup started on Sunday. The first World Cup in the Arab world, the first to begin… with the defeat of the host nation. So far 16 wins and 6 draws in the opening, zero losses. Ecuador ended this series (2-0) with a brace from their captain, Enner Valencia. And again the Fenerbahçe player was deprived of a first goal by a handful of centimeters. Special mention to the doorman of the property, Saad al-Sheeb, not very inspired in a first period marked by virile contacts… or poorly controlled.
One thing is certain: Qatar failed to impress at this opening meeting. Not very reassuring, while the Asian champions will then struggle with Senegal and the Netherlands. Opening game that will generally not go down in the annals, played at a slow pace, with few chances and few shows.
Qataris chilled
Not much atmosphere either… And that cooled quickly despite the efforts of the Qatari “head”. The Ecuadorian corner was hardly moving anymore. There were a few free seats at kick-off, in the grandstands of the beautiful al-Bayt stadium (announced as having 60,000 seats but which, according to Fifa… contained 67,372 spectators!), located about thirty kilometers north of Doha and a bit lost in the middle of nowhere in the desert, in al-Khor. The fence then gradually emptied in the second half to end in a stadium…almost empty. Astonishing. The audience had probably seen enough after a great opening ceremony. Thirty minutes of show including a few words from the Emir of Qatar, Tamim Ben Hamad al-Thani, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a nod to Footix and the mascots of previous editions or even a few words from the American actor Morgan Freeman, a speech about unity among peoples. Fireworks, star singers in Asia, several well-executed scenes: the total.
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And the air conditioning? Cool evening, but Sunday evening it was still on its way and provided the audience with an ideal temperature, despite a few chills now and then. Otherwise perfect lawn, infrastructure just as good. The frame is set. To see what the players of the 32 participating countries and their fans put into it…
If Qatari players are only moderately ready, the country is more. A country that fills up in the course of the days. Shy in the middle of the week, the mood climbs. Souk Waqif is the meeting place for most football fans who have traveled to Qatar. It was not uncommon to encounter groups of Tunisian, Algerian or Moroccan supporters in the alleyways. The Brazilian and Argentine contingents must a priori be the most numerous and we see jerseys from Seleçao and Albiceleste blooming. The subway is regularly overcrowded. Full terraces. There’s no more. For Qatari fans, on the other hand, time can seem long if Hasan al-Haydos and his associates don’t raise their voices… Although the stakes go beyond sports, of course.
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