Aspire Zone Foundation has successfully concluded its technical meeting and draw for the upcoming ‘The 12th Player’ tournament that will take place next Saturday at the Aspire Dome indoor pitch.
The tournament will feature 16 teams from local, regional and international fan associations in Doha, including Qatar’s Al Rayyan, Al Sadd, Al Gharafa and Al Arabi teams; Tunisia’s Club Africain; Morocco’s Raja Casablanca; Sudan’s Al Merrikh; Egypt’s Al Ahli; Spain’s Real Madrid and Barcelona; England’s Arsenal and Chelsea; and Italy’s Rome, Inter Milan, Juventus and Napoli.
The draw was conducted by Khalid al-Rumaihi from Qatar Football Association in the presence of Abdullah Aman al-Khater, manager of events at AZF, and Mohamed al-Hamadi, the director of ‘The 12th Player” tournament. Al-Hamadi welcomed the representatives of the fan associations who were eager to learn more about the rules and regulations of the tournament and improve their chances for success.
“We have often received requests from the different fan associations in Qatar with requests to hold team events at Aspire, which inspired us to organise a more robust programme for Qatar’s sports fans. So we really thank the fans of Qatar for making this happen,” al-Hamadi said.
“As a result of this tournament, we are also seeking to strengthen our ties with fan associations by encouraging them to take part in activities that endorse sportsmanship. As always with every event we organise, our main goal is to engage fans and promote healthy lifestyles. We hope the tournament will encourage past spectators to move away from the bleachers and join the excitement on the pitch”, al-Hamadi added.
Al-Hamadi shared additional details about the rules and regulations of the tournament, as well as tactics for qualifying for the final stages of the event.
The draw resulted in the following team breakdowns: Group (A) fan association teams include Roma, Inter Milan, Arsenal, and Club Africain; Group (B) teams include Al Merrikh, Al Sadd, Al Ahli, and Juventus; Group (C) teams include Raja Casablanca, Barcelona, Al Arabi and, Al Gharafa; Group (D) teams include Chelsea, Real Madrid, Al Rayyan and Napoli. During the group stage, which concludes on April 20th, two concurrent matches will be played. On Saturday, Roma will face off against Club Africian and Juventus will take on Al Merrikh at 7:30pm, while Arsenal will compete with Milan and Al Sadd and Al Ahli will come together at 8:45pm.
Quarter-finals will start on April 22, with semi-finals taking place on April 24. The final match will be played on April 26. A one-day championship for AZF workers will also be organised in parallel with the final day of the tournament.
The 12th Player tournament is being organised with the help of Gold Partner Doha Bank and Silver Partner “Nissan”,. Bronze partners Oxygen and Oryx, Strategic Partner Qatar Football Association and Community Partner Qatar Living are also supporting the event.
Football fans are welcome to attend the tournament and cheer on their favourite teams. Only the final match requires fans to obtain tickets, which can be purchased at the Aspire Park entrance to the Aspire Academy for 10 riyals.
The officials pose after technical meeting and draw ceremony for ‘The 12th Player’ tournament.
