World Cup views

Before I start my article, I would like to say to Qatar and its people, "Thank you very much for the great achievement." You honored us and made all of us happy. "May Allah make you happy in this world and the next." If there is any winner of the World Cup, it is Qatar. Your accomplishment is worth a thousand trophies, and what you have accomplished cannot be duplicated on the Arab level or the global level because you have made it difficult for any upcoming organization in any country. My journey with the World Cup was divided into three stages, according to the tickets I got and according to the age groups of my young family. It all started with the grandkids, the England fans. The match was then between England and Senegal. Frankly, I was afraid of the English crowd, who was known for the chaos in the stadiums, but the prohibition of alcohol made them a disciplined crowd. As for the Senegalese, they are good people, and their spirit is very beautiful. My grandson Adnan and I were cheering Senegal for their good manners and kindness in the stadium and to create a kind of competition among us all out of humor. As for Abdullah and Othman, they were cheering for the England team. The match was amazing, the organization was great, the crowd was very respectful, and we left the stadium happy. As for the second trip, there was the match between the Moroccan team and the Portugal team, and the atmosphere began to be charged with Arabism and the need to encourage the Arab team, as if we were on the brink of war and not a simple football match. Everyone has the right to support the team they love. We entered in the midst of a crowd between hundreds of Moroccan fans at the entrance to the bridge leading to the stadium, and the organizers repeatedly assured the crowd that entry was allowed only for ticket holders. Apparently, it was a crowd of fans who did not have tickets, and we were in the middle of them. Unfortunately, some of these fans showed no respect for the young or the old. They do not distinguish between a woman or a child. Frankly, it was a strange thing that I had not encountered before, and I will not generalize about that, but it may be that my misfortune is what put me in that place. It is possible that those who attended before or after me did not experience that incident. But the terrifying thing is that the riot police, with the help of their horses and their trained dogs, surrounded the entrance, and I decided at that time to abandon the match. We reached the side of the barriers, where we met some of our Qatari military forces, who facilitated our entry. In the end, we entered the stadium, and our seats were in the middle of the excited and very enthusiastic Moroccan crowd, and this is their right. I left the match with pain and ringing in my right ear as a result of screaming and whistling. Likewise, misfortune put me once again on my last trip with the Moroccan team against the French team, and I found myself once again among their team’s fans. I decided to leave the stadium before the end of the match after the second goal by the French due to the large number of inconveniences and bullying. The crowd is around me, "and I do not generalize to the rest of them." They give you two options: either cheer for Morocco or get annoyed. When I found it like this, we remained silent and concealed our happiness for fear that they would know that we were supporting the French team and getting into quarrels with them and that they might cause us harm. What I saw of what happened to an Asian family who was cheering the French team is not a good thing. A Qatari soldier asked me outside the stadium, surprised that we left before the end of the match, so I told him what happened, and when he found out that I was a Kuwaiti, he swore that I would have dinner at his house, and he told me, "Every Qatari loves Kuwaitis very much." I thanked him and told him, "Next time I will have dinner with you, Insha’Allah."

Once again, thank you, Qatar's rulers, government, and people. Praise be to Allah for the unity and prosperity of the Arab Gulf, and may Allah protect our rulers and our people from every envious and hateful person. Congratulations to the winners of the first three positions, and congratulations to the Moroccans for the achievement of their team. Also, a big greeting to those who were the foundation of the World Cup: the team and the crowd of Saudi Arabia. You have added a special flavor to this World Cup.

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