Augusto Rodrigues
Portugal fans left the Education City Stadium in Qatar with mixed emotions after their team lost 1-2 to South Korea. The Portuguese who flew in with their team became despondent while the Goans supporting Portugal had a more resilient attitude.
“We were all happy to see Ronaldo start. Most of us were not worried about the result as Portugal had already qualified. In a way, we were neutral. Assured of a place in the knockout, Portugal fielded a weaker team. They took the lead but could not hold on to it despite dominating most of the match,” is how Ashley Furtado surmised the evening in Qatar.
“The loss hurt the Portuguese in the stadium,” added Ashley.
“South Korea took the chances that were offered to them and won the match. The key takeaway is that Asian teams like Korea and Japan are improving continuously and so are African teams like Morocco and Tunisia,” observed Ashley, a key observer of football in India.
“Tickets are expensive, and we pay to watch the best. As a person paying for a ticket, I would have felt cheated if Portugal had not played with Ronaldo. But then football is a team sport, and we would have been happy to just watch Portugal,” said Ashley when asked what the reaction would have been had Portugal decided to rest Ronaldo for the match.
“I flew in from Dubai to watch this game and would have been happier had Portugal won but, it does not hurt that much as the team had already qualified. There must be a strategy which I have not understood. It doesn’t matter,” opined Xavier Fialho, who works in Dubai.
“Alcohol is not mixed here as we have local Goan friends who have stocked up for us. There is a feeling that we are always being watched, but we are comfortable as we follow the rules. However, there are times when I have seen some fans being corrected,” is how Ashley describes the ban on alcohol in stadiums and most places in Qatar.
“The culture of the country has to be respected, and as the saying goes, when in Rome do as the Romans, the same applies here,” adds Ashley.
“Being a Goan working in Dubai and coming to Qatar is a wee bit different because of the customs here. Booze is always available. You just have to know how to get it. It is how one behaves after consuming booze that could lead to problems,” thinks Xavier.
“The discipline among the people is great here, and law and order is excellent. We have to learn from them on this score. The local cuisine is limited but great. There are some excellent restaurants serving food from all over the world, from Brazil to Mongolia, and I personally relished the Mongolian cuisine,” said Ashley, while soft-pedalling on the topic of food, booze and the culture of Qatar.
“We are a group of five Goans who have come from Dubai. Normally our friends from here come to visit us in Dubai to relax and enjoy themselves. The World Cup has brought us here, and we are enjoying the opportunity to watch the best of football, which we were not quite expecting in this country,” observes Xavier.
“The organisation of the fan experience is superb with ushers all over Doha; at every metro station, at every location of interest, guiding us on where we need to go and how to get there. The organisers have made sure there is no crowding at any place. The only little complaint I have is that the walking time to the stadium is too much, but it could be that the organisers intentionally planned it so as to disperse fans, to avoid crowding,” is Ashley’s understanding of the elements of global football management.
“The viewing experience in stadiums is great with all corners of the ground viewable without a hindrance. The stadiums are spotless and people ie locals and fans, are friendly. This ensures a happy experience. A person feels safe in the stadium and outside as there is no hooliganism because of the strict alcohol rules. We are having a great time and are sure good days will continue,” believes Ashley.
“I now have to take an unavoidable 45-minute walk from the stadium, and then I have a two-hour journey to the place I am staying. I will be reaching late, but it is worth the trouble,” sums up Ashley.
As Ashley and the hundred-odd Goans start realising and relishing the best of both worlds, football in Qatar is witnessing Asian countries making waves on the field.