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At the end of the match between Tunisia and Oman, the two Brazilian football fans set off for the next match of the Arab Cup, which will start in 90 minutes.
Qatar was testing the central innovation promised by the organizers of the 2022 World Cup: that fans can play multiple games in a single day in the smallest country to host a world-class show.
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It took Edmundo Carvalho and Paulinho Rah two hours to reach the Al Bayt stadium, losing almost half of the match between Qatar and the Basque Country. The trip consisted of two subway lines, a 39 km (24 mile) bus trip and a long walk.
However, the pair, who competed in 32 of the 32 Arab Cup matches, enjoyed the tournament, which ended on Saturday, the first major stress test of the shiny infrastructure that Qatar-rich gas has spent on building billions over the past decade.
“What we’ve found here, people saying good things about our country, welcoming us, being warm to us, being kind to us. For me, it’s the best experience ever,” said Carvalho, who attended Russia’s 2018 World Cup.
Although there were no major problems at the Arab Cup, according to organizers, most Qatari fans attended, with logistical problems ahead of next year’s arrival of 1.2 million foreign visitors at the World Cup – more than a third. Gulf State population.
In the 19-day championship, the highways went easily, the metro system service was rarely interrupted and the fear of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 did not stop thousands of fans (many without face masks) from entering the stadiums.
Qatar’s health authorities did not show much increase in daily COVID-19 cases, although the first four cases of the country’s Omicron variant were detected on Friday among citizens and residents returning from abroad.
“Overall, I think the stadiums are ready and quite comfortable,” said Ronan Evain, the executive director of Football Supporters Europe at Qatar’s Arab Cup.
“Now the main problem is everything that happens before and after matches,” he said. “Organizers now have a year to resolve a number of issues, including access to transportation.”
To provide ample time to travel between stadiums at the 2022 World Cup, FIFA will allow fans to buy tickets for only two of the four matches of the day in the group stage.
‘FEET ARE STILL INJURED’
So far, three out of eight stadiums have no direct connection to the metro network and fans have to take the shuttle buses that leave several miles from the finish line.
Food, water and toilets were not on the way to many stadiums.
Required fan ID was canceled after 165,000 fans spent hours waiting for credentials to collect. In stadiums, stewards often targeted fans of the wrong path, and parking lots were dark and crowded.
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Sara, a fan of Iran, traveled more than 23 km in two days to attend four matches, sometimes on poorly marked routes. His friend, who was disabled, walked beside him with no accessibility, like a golf cart.
“My feet still hurt,” Sara said. “And we didn’t do any tourism, just games.”
The organizers of the tournament, the Supreme Commission on Shipping and Legacy, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Qatar Rail, which operates the Doha Metro.
Organizers report that 75% of fans turned down public transportation at the Arab Cup, choosing cars or taxis.
Outside Al Bayt Stadium, after Algeria beat Tunisia in Saturday’s final, fans sang and danced to a group of favorite Algerian musicians Rachid Taha and Khaled.
On it, a drone light show “You’ll see us in 2022.”
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