This Sunday started the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Beyond the enthusiasm of the supporters of the five African teams qualified on the continent, they will be few to go to the emirate. For several reasons, explain Ahmed Arbib and Mathieu Youbi…
Mexicans, French or Argentinians rushed to Doha for the launch of the World Cup. A truly global event. But in their matches, Senegal - who lost by two goals to nil against the Netherlands -, Cameroon, Ghana, Tunisia and Morocco will find it difficult to rely on the 12th man who usually makes them work miracles: the public. The fault lies with several factors… Starting with the fact that Qatar is not a land of football.
Ahmed Arbib: “Targeting a new audience”
“This World Cup is an opportunity for Qatar to promote the emirate throughout the world and to turn to new markets, summarizes Ahmed Arbib, founder of the company 2A Entertainment, specialist in the ticketing and entertainment sector. anticipation of flow management. Two months before the event, rich princes from the Gulf, businessmen from Eastern Europe, India or more generally from Asia had already reserved boxes,” he explains.
If the supporters of the qualified selections do not go there, it will not upset Qatar, which knows that its stadiums will, at worst, be filled by spectators already present on the spot. "The proximity of the stadiums will allow fans to experience two to three matches a day, Qatar therefore does not need to attract as many spectators as Russia in 2018 or Brazil in 2014", continues Ahmed Arbib who recalls that the he issue of whether or not the World Cup will be an organizational success lies in the second week of competition.
Another major factor: the economic crisis that is shaking Africa. African rulers are used to subsidizing supporters during competitions. During the CAN in Egypt, Algerian supporters could attend matches free of charge on simple presentation of their passport thanks to an agreement made by the Algerian Football Federation. Algiers had chartered planes, civil and military, to bring in nearly 5 supporters and support the Fennecs. Going to Qatar costs a bit more, in terms of transport and accommodation.
Mathieu Youbi: "The interest of the supporters is not as high"
"Due to the poor economic conditions and the price of the trip, for this edition in Qatar, the interest of the supporters is not as high," said Mathieu Youbi, a Cameroonian businessman who organizes supporter trips during the Cups. of the world, to DW media. Governments, notably that of Ghana, however finance the trips of a few hundred hand-picked supporters. For their part, Senegal and the Senegalese Football Federation have paid for the stay of 327 people in Qatar for the World Cup.
Finally, the accommodation conditions in Qatar are not optimal. $220 billion has been invested in infrastructure. But that does not mean that all supporters are housed in Qatar. Shuttles have been set up to connect Doha to other major cities in the Middle East. "Qatar is luxury, not football," laments a Senegalese fan who had been to Russia. In the current economic and social situation, I will watch the Teranga Lions on television”.