Football in the Arab world, like everywhere else around the globe, is never just a sport, but an occasion to meet new people, discuss ideas about the game and beyond, and end matchdays with either praise or banter, depending on which team you support.
The AFC Asian Cup, following the FIFA World Cup 2022, exemplified this when Qatar rolled out the red carpet for the continental showpiece in January, 2024.
From musicians playing Dreamers, a song by South Korean sensation Jungkook, on the streets to the decked-out lanes of Msheireb, Doha welcomed everyone in style, as the host side prepared to defend the title under new coach Tintin Marquez.
The busiest hotspot for fan engagement outside the stadiums became Souq Waqif, a market that perfectly blended Qatar’s old and new.
Fans wearing scarves and jerseys from every competing country danced to the beats of a Darbuka. Occasionally, songs in solidarity with Palestine, including Bella Ciao on a saxophone, resonated through the crowd.
It was festival time in this part of the world, through and through.
The opening game at Lusail Stadium attracted a tournament-record crowd of 82,490, and the event broke the record for the highest overall attendance, with 1.06 million spectators over three weeks.
More reporter diaries from Sportstar:
Pranay Rajiv:When smog couldn’t stop a special 10-wicket haul in a Ranji game
Ayan Acharya:win-hurricane-beryl-west-indies-venue-indian-team-win-rohit-virat-emotional/article69032598.ece” target=”_blank”>A memorable World Cup with storms of all kinds
Lavanya Lakshminarayanan: win-uae-reporter-diary-cricket-journalists-community/article69034361.ece” target=”_blank”>Celebrating an underdog’s win with a global community
Shayan Acharya: A milestone match set against the snow-capped brilliance of Dharamsala
The match between Iraq and Japan showcased Arab support most vividly. It was a contest between the highest-ranked team in Asia and the most successful one in the Asian Cup, against a country ravaged by war and home to thousands of emigrants in Qatar.
The Japanese supporters were visibly outnumbered. “It seemed like they (Iraq) were playing at home,” Japan’s coach Hajime Moriyasu said after the match, which ended 2–1 in Iraq’s favour.
A drubbing to a team studded with players from Europe – Iraq’s first win against Japan since 1982 – brought jubilant Eid-like celebrations at Souq Waqif. “Where’s Takefusa Kubo? In our pocket,” chanted one fan, while another began singing at a table, quickly joined by others.
The diary joined the celebrations, finding a spot in a packed Iraqi restaurant named Adhamiya and sampling Masgouf, one of Iraq’s national dishes, which reportedly played a pivotal role in the fall of its dictator, Saddam Hussein.
The celebrations continued till daybreak, with the air heavy with the smoke of cigarettes and shisha (hookah).
The final, an all-Arab affair, saw the hosts triumph over underdogs Jordan, as Qatar ensured that football flourished in the desert, both on and off the field.
For fans of Indian football, however, joy was scarce. While the Qatar Manjappadas, a Kerala Blasters fan club, kept people entertained throughout India’s matches in packed stadiums, the Blue Tigers failed to impress, bowing out with three losses and a group-stage exit.
The tournament marked the end of an era for several national team coaches, with 15 of the 24 participating teams starting the next year with a new coach. India, too, experienced a change at the helm, with Manolo Marquez succeeding Igor Stimac.
With the third round of qualifiers for the tournament’s next edition around the corner, the diary hopes Marquez can steer the Blue Tigers to qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup and find a suitable replacement for their record goalscorer, Sunil Chhetri.
India has slipped below the top 120 in the FIFA rankings, and naturally, expectations will be to see an improvement, along with clarity on allowing players of Indian heritage to represent the country – especially at a time when the national team appears overtly mediocre.
For eight other teams in Asia – Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Indonesia, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia – a maximum of three spots will be up for grabs at the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026. The qualifiers, scheduled for late next year, promise to deliver nail-biting clashes, especially those involving Saudi Arabia.
Hervé Renard, who inspired the Saudis to a famous win over eventual world champions Argentina with his fiery half-time monologue, is back in charge. The diary hopes for a similar turnaround in 2025.
Leave feedback about this