If ever there was a case of a country paying a heavy price for political arrogance on the sporting field, this was it. Qatar’s 4-0 victory over the UAE in the semi-final of the Asian Cup has few parallels and, rest assured, even after a hundred years from now, it would form a rare chapter etched in stone in the region’s chequered history.
When Boualem Khoukhi kissed his team’s logo on his shirt after his calculated drive from outside the box slipped under the thoroughly embarrassed UAE goalkeeper, the whole of Qatar erupted in joy.
When the rangy striker Almoez Ali strummed his imaginary guitar – a trademark celebration of his – after his curling shot deflected off the far post and went in, the packed Emirati crowd in Abu Dhabi were stunned into stupefied silence.
Goals from captain Hassan al-Haydos and Hamid Ismail in the second half completed a glorious day for the Qatar football team who cruised into the final of Asia’s biggest event unbeaten, unbowed and without conceding a single goal. It’s a scenario only teams such as Brazil, Spain or Italy would dare to dream of. Until now, that is.
After Nasser al-Attiyah’s third triumph in the Dakar Rally earlier this month, today’s victory in the hostile cauldron of the Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium came as the perfect icing on the cake. If Qatar manage to pull off a victory against the Japanese in the final on Friday, well, we would think of another idiom.
But what a win it was yesterday! Every Qatari’s heart would be beating with pride, every expatriate in the country would be talking about it for days and surely reminiscing about it to their grandchildren several years from now – God alone knows with what embellishments – at the expense of the Emiratis!
Thrill and suspense form essential elements of sport, especially in football, where fans live and die a thousand times during the 90 minutes of play. If ever someone comes up with the idea of a museum of sporting tragedies, the images of distraught Iranian fans after their team lost to Japan in the first semi-final on Monday would be enough to fill it. Such is the role that football plays in some societies, that trying to comfort them by saying it was just a game of football would invite serious trouble. The UAE probably also would be also feeling the same way after yesterday’s humiliation.
Qatar’s sporting conquest in front of a frenzied crowd, some of who vented their frustrations by throwing stuff onto the field, came through a combination of shrewd tactics, fair play and the undiluted of joy of taking sport for what it is – a battle of wits and skills on the playing field, in which UAE came up a poor second. It’s as simple as that.
Qatar’s policy of not mixing politics with sport was adhered to by everybody associated with the team, with players and officials steering clear of distracting controversies. Coach Felix Sanchez and his boys have never felt the need to add their voice to the cacophony of nasty politics unleashed by the senseless blockade initiated by Saudi Arabia and its allies.
Their strategy stands vindicated – you don’t need to respond to every slur, insult or lie, be it from rival fans or from propaganda-spewing men in authority. There’s a dignity in silence, which the UAE must have, hopefully, learned by now. They would be richer for it.
But as the dust settles down, the UAE establishment and media would realise that their unnecessary and often childish shenanigans in the run-up to yesterday’s match contributed heavily to their team’s defeat. By doing some of the things they did – like putting obstacles in the way of Qatari fans and media, issuing reckless statements and preventing non-Emiratis from buying tickets to the match – they put their team under tremendous pressure.
Had they been even slightly professional they would have known that such tactics can often boomerang in your face, staining you with an embarrassment that would be difficult to get rid of. Another lesson for them is that sporting skills are never hostage to nasty political machinations.
The UAE should also educate its citizens to behave properly and display some sportsmanship. Booing during the rivals’ national anthem is not what civilised people do, and throwing bottles and other objects at players betrays a mentality of violent bygone ages.
Meanwhile, the Qataris and expatriates partied late into the night, but with grace and dignity. The occasion demanded that. There was a lot of flag-waving, cheering and a display of patriotism and camaraderie. What was tellingly absent was any ill-feeling towards the vanquished.
That’s the way sport should be celebrated. Qatar today is undoubtedly the toast of the sporting world for setting this fine example.
Qatar’s Hamid Ismail (left) celebrates his goal with teammates during the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals against the UAE in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
