Prior to the Qatari national football team’s upcoming match against Senegal, hundreds of Al-Annabi supporters flocked to the streets of Msheireb Downtown on Thursday.
The Qatari flag, along with those of other Arab countries, particularly Palestine, flew high throughout the city during the parade as a sign of support for the team representing the Gulf state.
Lifting spirits
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Many fans who spoke to Doha News expressed the importance of the parade, saying it was key to lifting the spirits of the Qatari players at Friday’s match.
“Today’s parade, God willing, is to forget the previous match, to turn its page and make it part of the past. We don’t want to remember it at all,” one hopeful Qatari fan told Doha News.
The Qatari national, who had the national flag wrapped around his neck, added that the parade motivates the players to perform better at their next game; calling for more enthusiasm from the crowd at the match.
Ecuador trounced Qatar with a 2-0 win in Sunday’s game, the day the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicked off at Al-Bayt Stadium.
Another Qatari national shared the same thoughts, saying: “It’s important [to hold the parade] as a morale booster for the players, because without it no one will win. It’s important for the stadium to shake tomorrow.”
Early nerves
Many Al-Annabi fans believe “nervousness” was the reason behind Qatar’s loss, given that it was the opener and all eyes were on them.
“Actually the parade is very important, especially after the [Qatari] team entered the first game and we lost 2-0, they were really nervous with the presence of nine leaders, and it was their first time at the World Cup,” one Qatari told Doha News as other roaring fans surrounded him.
While Qatar had garnered global attention back in 2010, when it was the first Arab country to win a bid to host the World Cup, the attention on Doha only intensified with the presence of millions of fans.
It was also the first interaction some football enthusiasts had with the Arab region, where they witnessed the true spirit of the Qatar team’s fans in the heart of Doha.
Overall, many Qatar fans have high hopes in comparison to the previous game, saying that the next match is an opportunity for the team to put their game face on and passionately beat their opponents.
And when it comes to the question of who would potentially score Qatar’s winning goal, many fans had the same answer: Almoez Ali.
