Football is a strange game in Qatar during this World Cup. And where time does not flow like everywhere else. As we have seen, matches systematically exceed 100 minutes. But when the national team plays, local spectators leave the stadium in 60-70 minutes…
The scene was repeated one more time during the match against Senegal. A 1-3 loss to Aliou Cisse’s men, combined with a draw between the Netherlands and Eqauteur, ruled out the host country from the World Cup. With the second goal of the Senegalese, immediately after the restart, crowds of fans began to break away from the stands. But when Senegal scored their third goal, recording a second defeat in a row, the Qataris fled the Al Tumana Stadium by the thousands.
In the mixed zone, the players who appear first in front of the media are unable to speak and wonder why they were sent in front of the microphones. One of them has completely red eyes and walks through the corridors, exhausted, before returning to his dressing room.
Outdoors, before leaving the walls of Doha for good, many onlookers ranted about the defeat. Between misunderstanding and annoyance at the naivety of their team, which really played only when they conceded the second goal. Even if we have to admit that she should have won from a penalty at 0:0. But the choice of Qatar completely missed their World Cup.
“I thought we were going to be world champions”
In this country where people like to buy without counting too much, many still get the impression that they bet on a sick camel and made a mistake. Part of the public, the one that leaves the stadium as soon as their country concedes a goal, imagined a happier fate for a team that is the true Asian title champion. “I don’t understand,” the man explains in a calm tone, but with dark eyes. I thought the team was very strong. She is very bad. »
Another intervened. “But we were told that the team is of a high level. I thought we were going to be world champions. Japan and Saudi Arabia won and we lost, it’s not normal. No, really not. »
Very close to him, another group agrees to stop for a few minutes to share the disappointment. “A quarter-final or semi-final would be a great performance,” said one of its participants. But our players are ultimately very bad. I will not go to the third match against the Netherlands. I’m going to offer my seats to a servant.” Beside him, one of his friends adds, “Now we still have to beat this team. They’re still not that strong, are they? »
Source: Le Parisien
