Football in the Arab world, like anywhere else in the world, is never just a sport, but an opportunity to meet new people, discuss ideas about the game and beyond, and end the days match with praise or jokes, depending on which team you support. .
The AFC Asian Cup, which followed the 2022 FIFA World Cup, illustrated this when Qatar rolled out the red carpet for the continental competition in January 2024.
Musicians playing Dreamersa song by South Korean sensation Jungkook, from the streets to the decorated lanes of Msheireb, Doha welcomed everyone in style, as the host team prepared to defend the title under new coach Tintin Marquez .
The busiest venue for fan engagement outside of stadiums has become Souq Waqif, a market that seamlessly blends the old and new of Qatar.
Supporters wearing scarves and jerseys from all participating countries danced to the rhythm of a darbuka. At times, chants of solidarity with Palestine, including Bella Ciao on the saxophone, echoed through the crowd.
It was festival time in this part of the world, through and through.
The opening match at Lusail Stadium attracted a record crowd of 82,490, and the event broke the record for largest overall attendance, with 1.06 million spectators over three weeks.
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The match between Iraq and Japan highlighted Arab support in the most striking way. It was a competition between the highest-ranked team in Asia and the most successful team in the Asian Cup, against a country ravaged by war and home to thousands of emigrants in Qatar.
The Japanese partisans were visibly outnumbered. “It seemed like they (Iraq) were playing at home,” Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu said after the match, which ended 2-1 in Iraq’s favor.
A drubbing of a team full of European players – Iraq’s first victory against Japan since 1982 – led to jubilant Eid celebrations at Souq Waqif. “Where is Takefusa Kubo?” In our pocket,” one fan chanted, while another began singing at a table, quickly joined by others.
The newspaper joined the celebrations, finding a seat at a crowded Iraqi restaurant called Adhamiya and sampling Masgouf, one of Iraq’s national dishes, said to have played a central role in the fall of its dictator, Saddam Hussein. .
The celebrations continued until daybreak, in the air thick with cigarette and hookah smoke.
The final, an all-Arab affair, saw the hosts triumph over underdogs Jordan, while Qatar ensured football flourished in the desert, on and off the pitch.
But for fans of Indian football, joy was rare. While the Qatar Manjappadas, a Kerala Blasters fan club, entertained people throughout India’s matches in packed stadiums, the Blue Tigers failed to impress, bowing out with three defeats and a phase-out. of groups.
The tournament marked the end of an era for several national team coaches, with 15 of the 24 participating teams starting the following year with a new coach. India also saw a change at the helm, with Manolo Marquez taking over from Igor Stimac.
As the third qualifying round for the next edition of the tournament approaches, the newspaper hopes that Márquez can guide the Blue Tigers to qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup and find a suitable replacement for their top scorer, Sunil Chhetri.
India has slipped below the top 120 in the FIFA rankings and, naturally, expectations will be to see an improvement, as well as clarity on whether players of Indian origin can be allowed to represent the country – particularly at a time when the national team looks openly mediocre.
For eight other Asian teams – Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia – a maximum of three places will be up for grabs at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup. The qualifiers, scheduled for late next year, promise to provoke fierce clashes, particularly those involving Saudi Arabia.
Hervé Renard, who inspired the Saudis to a famous victory over eventual world champions Argentina with his fiery half-time monologue, is back in charge. The newspaper hopes for a similar turnaround in 2025.
