Football

Trial event at FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar marred by lack of water, long lines and poor management

A trial rehearsal conducted for the 2022 World Cup final venue in Qatar on Friday faced hindrances due to logistical problems, with long lines and a lack of water for the nearly 78,000 people in attendance.

Friday’s match, called the Lusail Super Cup, was the first time the new Lusail Stadium has hosted such a huge capacity crowd. At 80,000 seats, it is the largest of Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums and a gold-clad showpiece designed to host the final match on Dec. 18th.

The stands in the stadium had run out of water by half-time and there was none available outside, where the late summer temperature was 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) but it felt hotter due to the humidity.

“Let us through! We have children,” cried one man carrying a sweaty toddler. “We need water. Is there water?” a woman shouted from behind the line.

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and the smallest nation ever to host a World Cup. While it has spent billions of dollars on infrastructure, it has never organized an event of such great importance and on such a massive scale which is unusual for a World Cup, which will also be held in and around only a single city.

When quipped about the burning issues, a spokesperson for organizers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, told Reuters the game was designed to identify operational issues and learn lessons for a “seamless” World Cup.

“Every team involved in the event’s organization gained invaluable experience they will carry into this year’s tournament,” the spokesperson added in a statement.

This is such a mess – said Eslam who had come to watch the World Cup

The station entrance is 400 meters from the stadium, but fans waited in a 2.5 kilometre line going back and forth across an empty lot. Officials said that was to prevent a stampede.

“This is such a mess,” said Eslam, an Egyptian fan who has lived in Doha since 2004 and had his arm around a bleary-eyed and exhausted friend in the line. “I don’t want to go to the World Cup any more. Not if it’s like this.”