Vancouver (British Columbia): Qatar brought a cheering section to the World Cup by treating a large contingent of supporters to an all-expenses-paid trip to North America.
Some 1,000 Qatari fans have descended Vancouver, via jets chartered by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ahead of Thursday’s match against Canada.
The fans are staying at posh hotels, including the Fairmont and the JW Marriott Parq. They’ve been turning heads downtown, breaking out traditional darbuka drums.
“First of all I would like to thank everyone who went the extra mile and made the journey out here,” captain Abdulaziz Hatem said.
“We are very aware of the responsibility. We are going to do whatever it takes for them to leave the stadium happy and for them to be proud of us.”
Qatar’s Social and Sport Contribution Fund partnered with the Persian Gulf nation’s soccer federation to pay for the “Qatari Fans Delegation Program” for the World Cup. The fund covers flights, hotels, local transportation and other perks.
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The federation said the aim was to create “a vibrant stadium atmosphere that will help push the players toward the best possible results on the global stage.” Qatari students in the United States and Canada were also invited to attend the matches.
Qatari fans are sure to be heavily outnumbered by red-clad Canadians at BC Place.
A major exporter of natural gas and oil, Qatar has a population of some 3.2 million. It hosted the World Cup in 2022 and made its first appearance in the tournament, becoming the first host country to lose all of its group matches.
Qatar has fared better this time. Boualem Khoukhi scored on a header in stoppage time to give the Qataris a surprising 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Santa Clara, California.
Canada also earned its first World Cup point with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Friday in Toronto.
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