Khalid Salman, a former Qatari international player is certain that, Qatar has proactively made progress at the FIFA World Cup™ even before a ball is kicked at the competition.
For Salman, who is a Qatar Legacy Ambassador with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the honor of playing as a host country in the first FIFA World Cup to happen in the Arab world is a triumph by its own right.
“When the Maroons take to the pitch, they will not only be representing Qatar, but the entire Arab world. This will be the moment of a lifetime for the players, and for as fans as well. It’s a dream come true for all of us. For me personally, I tried twice, albeit unsuccessfully, to qualify to the World Cup, but now the big tournament is coming right to our front door,” said Salman.
Khalid Salman became an icon in Qatar subsequent to scoring a hat-trick for his country against Brazil at the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Qatar have been drawn in Group A of the FIFA World Cup alongside South American side Ecuador, ruling African heroes Senegal and the Netherlands who have been at the FIFA World Cup Final an aggregate of three times.
Qatar’s first match will be on 21 November against Ecuador at the famous Al Bayt Stadium, a competition scene that has its planned propelled by conventional tents used all through the area.
“For me, the Ecuador match is the most important one, because a win there opens up so many possibilities for us in the next two games. We have played them before, and I know that we will be very prepared coming into that match, and I hope that the symbolism that the stadium holds will bring us good luck on what will be a historic day,” Salman added.
Qatar’s second match will see them take on Senegal at Al Thumama Stadium on 25 November. The Stadium’s beautiful design is additionally motivated by one more social icon from the locale – the gahfiya – a conventional skullcap worn by men across the Arab world.
“Senegal boasts some of the world’s best players, but in football, everything comes down to those 90 minutes on the pitch, and we have seen so many unexpected results over the years. On paper, Senegal are a much better team than Qatar, but everything is possible,” said Salman.
Salman scored a famous brace against France in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games of Los Angeles, leading his time to an unexpected draw against the eventual gold medalists.
WHO, Qatar And FIFA Leaders Now Set To Promote Good Health At FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
Qatar will round off their group stage with another game at Al Bayt Stadium, in front of more than 60,000 fans, this time against a formidable Dutch team. The Netherlands will be making their eleventh appearance at the tournament and will look to make an impact after having missed out on qualification in the previous World Cup.
Salman further said:
“We all grew up watching Dutch football legends like Johan Cruyff. It’s a school of football that has taught us so much over the years, and I think that the differences between Qatar and the Dutch will be too much. Of course, I hope that Qatar wins and replicates the success they had during the 2019 Asian Cup, but I think this will be a very difficult match”.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is set to happen in Qatar between 21 November and 18 December 2022, across 8 high-class modern settings. The beautiful nature of the competition will empower fans to go watch more than one match a day.
