Aspire Zone’s ‘12th Player’ football tournament featuring teams made up of local fans for several football clubs has ended after a thrilling final match. In a closely fought game, the Al Ahly SC (Egypt) fan association team defeated the Al Arabi (Qatar) fan association team 1-0. In the third and fourth place play-off, the Al Gharafa (Qatar) fans team secured an impressive 4-0 win against Roma (Italy) fans team.
The tournament was characterised throughout by strong support from spectators from the local community. Large numbers attended the final which took place on the indoor pitches in Aspire Dome. Many were carrying the flags of their favourite clubs and singing team songs to provide encouragement to their friends on the pitch.
The final was a hard fought, physical match with both teams showing great determination and showcasing the qualities that secured them their place in the final stages of the competition.
During the first half, the team of Al Ahly SC fans team dominated possession and enjoyed considerable vocal support from the sidelines, particularly after they hit the back of the net.
In the second half, the Al Arabi fans team did their best to get back into the game, piling on the pressure and looking for a breakthrough. Despite repeated efforts from their opponents, the Al Ahly SC fans team held on until the final whistle. Describing the success of the event, Mohamed al-Hamadi, Director of the ‘12th Player’ tournament, said: “The level of support from spectators and the skill and quality of the teams have been really obvious during the tournament. Both reflect the popularity and support that football in Qatar enjoys.
“We can expect that this tournament will become a regular feature in our sporting calendar. We’re now looking for ways to build on this success and exploring all options for developing an even more successful event next year. We’re also planning to extend the invitation to GCC fans associations – something that we expect would go down well with participants, spectators and journalists.”
In conjunction with the ‘12th Player’ tournament, Aspire Zone Foundation also organised the ‘Aspire Workers Cup’, a two-day football tournament for workers in Aspire Zone, which concluded last Wednesday.
The ‘Aspire Logistics’ team clinched the tournament’s title after defeating ‘Aspetar’ 2-1, with the ‘Aspire Academy’ team trailing in third place.
The top three teams were awarded the Cup and medals by senior officials from Aspire Zone Foundation, including Badr al-Hay, Director of Education and Student Care at Aspire Academy, Rashid al-Khalifa, Deputy Chief of Operations at Aspire Logistics Ali Sultan Fakhroo, Director of Corporate Services at Aspire Academy and Abdulrahman al-Mulla, Assistant Director of Human Resources at Aspetar.
In addition to the top three teams, awards were also made to individuals who showcased exceptional skills throughout the tournament. These include the ‘Top Scorer’ award, won by Salah Maradona (Al Gharafa Team), ‘Best Player’ award, won by Mohameed al-Fuhaida (Roma Team), and the ‘Best Goalkeeper’ award, won by Mohamed Fay (Al Arabi Team).
The 12th Player Tournament was organised with the help of Gold Partner Doha Bank, Silver Partner Nissan Qatar, and Bronze partners Mövenpick Hotel Al Aziziyah Doha, Oxygen and Oryx. The Qatar Football Association was the Strategic Partner for the organisation.
Badr al-Hay awards Al Ahly, the winners of the ‘12th Player’ football tournament.
