Sports Talk with Ayodele odumade
So much has been said and written about Qatar recently, with regards to their being awarded the 2022 World Cup and the potential conditions teams will face when they arrive there. No one doubts that temperatures would be unbearable during the summer in Qatar. However surely FIFA already knew this before they even considered accepting their candidacy to bid for the World Cup. The Western media as usual has started its negative campaign with stories, which have connotations of subtle racism. The main question which should be asked is Qatar a member of FIFA? If the answer is yes then it is a no brainer that they are entitled just like any other country to bid for the World Cup.
I have no doubt that the World Cup will go ahead as scheduled in Qatar, but it most likely would be at a different time, which would disrupt some of the major football leagues around the world. However I do not see what the problem is. After all there is an eight-year notice to amend the football calendar. Europe needs to realize that they do not own the game. It belongs to the whole world. It is also not possible to have every World Cup in Europe.
I am not going to say there are no problems in Qatar, such as working conditions, which at times borders on slavery where foreign workers are concerned. Whilst I will not try and trivialize such issues, which of course can be corrected the emphasis should be on better working and living conditions for foreign workers in the country. I have not known a World Cup outside of Europe, which has not been beset with various teething problems. Brazil is currently going through it’s own but they will be ready in the summer for what is the greatest sports show on earth bar the Olympic games.
PREPARATION IS THE KEY
With the recent World Cup draw held for Brazil 2014, the African representatives must feel that they have a decent chance of making an impact at this summer’s World Cup unlike before. Although three African countries have reached the Quarter final at previous tournaments, anything short of at least a Semi Final place for at least one of the teams and another reaching the quarter final, would be considered a failure by the African teams collectively.
For so long, African teams have been saddled with the burden stating that they would one day win the World Cup. My gut feeling tells me that the two teams who are likely to go very far this year could be Nigeria and Ghana. For this to happen though, they are going to have to prepare well and make sure that everything is in place. Already teams like Argentina, Germany and England have arranged all their friendly matches leading up to the World cup.
THE DEBATE GOES ON ABOUT QATAR
Opinion