By Matthias Krug
ANY confusion surrounding Qatar’s World Cup bid was cleared last night by a senior official who told Gulf Times that “Qatar has a very good chance of hosting” the event.
The Qatar Football Association (QFA) is awaiting a FIFA letter concerning the hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 editions, before taking the matter to the highest government levels for a decision that is expected to be officially announced in January.
”The decision is not up to the Qatar Football Association alone. We are currently waiting for the FIFA letter regarding the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and then we will take it from there up to the higher authorities,” QFA general secretary Saud Abdulaziz al-Mohannadi explained.
“Once we have the final approval we will officially announce the bid for the World Cup. The interest is there from our side, but once you take the decision, then there are a lot of commitments and requirements to fulfill. That is why we are waiting on the FIFA letter, which should arrive in early January after the holiday season.”
Qatar’s bid for the sport’s most prestigious event had been rumoured for a long time but the QFA is now confident that it can beat illustrious competition including, amongst others, England, Australia, Spain and Mexico.
“Of course it is going to be very tough, but we have a very good chance. We will work hard on the bid and prepare very well and then we will be well placed when the official bidding begins. Australia is a tough opponent, and England could be an early favorite. But we have to wait for the letter and then study our options.”
Financial backing for the tournament would be guaranteed and a state-of-the-art railway system is being planned in Doha to be ready in time for the tournament, but al-Mohannadi added that new stadiums would need to spring up to accommodate the influx of foreign fans.
“We are not exactly ready, we need to build some new stadiums and expand some existing ones, but at the moment it is too early to go into the exact details. Once we officially announce the bid, maybe in January, a committee will be formed that will be responsible for making the official bid document.”
Qatar’s football authorities have strong ties with FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who visited the country earlier this year, and the 2011 Asian Cup bid document which has successfully brought Asia’s biggest tournament to Qatar was said to have impressed the FIFA boss.
But al-Mohannadi added that the bidding would be won on merits alone: “We have good relations with FIFA, but those alone will not help you to host the World Cup. You need to have a very good bid and to meet all the requirements to host the most prestigious football event in the world.”