Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (ABU DHABI)
Less than 13 months after hosting one of the all-time great football World Cup finals, Qatar takes centre stage once again when 24 nations compete for the AFC Asian Cup in nine stadiums spread across the capital city of Doha.
When Qatar was named 2022 World Cup host, 12 years of debate preceded its hosting of the event.
Scepticism was rife over the size of the nation and mainly because the holding of the event in the winter months disrupted the international calendar in the football world.
One doubt led to another even as Qatar’s neighbours, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, lent peripheral support by way of hosting tourists from around the world and added more transportation options.
But the world took notice when Qatar won their first Asian Cup title in 2019, hosted by the UAE. Although the team failed to deliver at the World Cup, the seeds were sown as the sport grew in popularity.
It was a point that Hassan Haydos made as the Qatar captain who has transitioned with the armband from that 2019 squad to the current senior team, which is in Group A along with China, Lebanon and Tajikistan. They play Lebanon first.
The UAE are in Group C and take on Hong Kong in their opening match on Saturday at 6.30pm UAE time.
“It is a relatively good group,” said Haydos on the AFC website, “where all the teams have very similar levels and tomorrow we are starting a new challenge for us.
“I think the 2019 generation raised our levels and ambitions. We are always required to win in any game and championship we partake in.
“But challenges are part of football and I hope we can deal with this stress and pressure in a positive manner. We are playing the Asian Cup as title holders and in our own home, so we have to perform and show to the fans that we mean business.”
With China backing out of hosting the 2023 edition due to its ‘zero-COVID’ policy, Qatar took the opportunity to bring the tournament back to west Asia once again. Qatar has hosted the Asian Cup twice before in 1988 and 2011.
Gulf states have flexed their financial might by hosting marquee events. Apart from football, Qatar has hosted major boxing bouts and both the Formula One and MotoGP grands prix, while the 2024 World Aquatics Championships will also be held in Doha next month – another first for a country in the Middle East. A book by ND Prashant, “Qatar: A Tiny Nation That Dreamed Big” talks about how a successful 2006 Asian Games proved to be the catalyst.
While the 2022 World Cup was not without controversy off the pitch, once the first ball was kicked, the action on the field stole the spotlight.
The tournament defied doubts that the tiny country could host an event on such a grand scale and Qatar will hope the Asian Cup can do the same.
“I’ve participated in Olympic Games, the Euros, the last Asian Cup – you can’t compare this organisation with others. Thanks to Qatar, and football federation, for amazing facilities,” said Lebanon coach Miodrag Radulovic.
Although the Asian Cup’s popularity pales in comparison to the World Cup or the Euros, it has a rich history and is the second oldest continental championship in the world after the Copa America.
And from the opening game on Friday where Qatar play Lebanon, the hosts will once again open their arms to an influx of fans from around the region – especially with nearly half the countries in the tournament from the Middle East.
UAE preparations
According to the UAE players, Abdullah Idrees and Ali Saleh, the preparations have gone well. The Al Jazira defender expressed the importance of a winning start, saying: “The first match is the most important in the group stage, because achieving a positive result in it increases the players’ self-confidence. All our focus is on the match against Hong Kong.
Our preparations went well, and there is great competition among the players to be in the starting lineup to wear the national team’s shirt.”
Al Wasl forward Saleh said the team’s training in Abu Dhabi at the Saadiyat Island, and two friendlies played there against Kyrgyzstan and Oman has helped achieved the desired target in training.
“Most of the players got to play and hone skills in the lead-up, and are available for disposal at the team’s technical staff whenever needed,” he said.
