Meet The People of The FIFA Arab Cup™ (Qatar Edition - Part 1)

14 December 2021

Storyteller: Maha Alshammari

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?

My name’s Maha Alshammari. I’m 18 years old and was born and raised here in Qatar. I just graduated from high school and I’m excited to be going to university in Ireland. While my background in football is fairly new, I started enjoying it more recently ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, and - my father works in the field of sports - I started seeing all the work that goes on behind the scenes, which made me appreciate it more. I only actually attended my first football match in December 2019, and it was a whole new experience for me! I am still familiarising myself with all the teams, but for now I, of course, support the Qatari national team.

Before the FIFA Arab Cup™, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had only been to one match. However, I’ve now been attending matches regularly and get hyped up more than my brothers who are big football fans, which definitely shows my ever-growing enthusiasm towards the sport.

What have been your experiences of the FIFA Arab Cup as a Qatari fan?

As the host nation of the FIFA Arab Cup™, watching Qatar play has been the most exciting thing, and reaching the semi-finals was way beyond what I initially expected. The overwhelmingly positive energy of all the fans and the excitement of the players get when they score is mind-blowing! It was also beautiful to see H.H. The Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attend every match and see how proud he is.

Knowing how much effort my beloved country has put into hosting the FIFA Arab Cup™ as the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ next year, and watching everything come to life has been simply sensational. For me, the best moment was hands-down the dazzling official opening ceremony at Al Bayt stadium. The organisers had huge screens that played holograms of past and present legendary Arab artistes. That’s only one of many incredible moments that I’m very glad I was able to experience.

What was the atmosphere like at the games?

What I liked most about attending the matches was the sense of togetherness. For example, when a team got closer to scoring a goal, you could see the entire stadium simultaneously standing up and cheering, even if they didn’t score. I also remember seeing a guy chanting through a loudspeaker and singing national Qatari songs, telling the fans to clap in a certain pattern or do the Mexican wave. Of course, how could I forget? I was a part of history at one of the matches which had the highest attendance for a football match in the history of Qatar, with more than 63,000 spectators! It’s these special moments during a game that push me to attend more matches in the future.

How will Qatar do in this tournament?

The Qatar national team has performed brilliantly this tournament, having won four matches and qualifying to the semi-finals. I really hope we beat Algeria in the next game and qualify for the final! Even if we don’t make it, knowing that we’ve made it this far and seeing how well our team played is wonderful on its own.

What are the opportunities for Qatari women in football?

Qatari women have great opportunities for practicing football, as there are high quality facilities and equipment; from indoor sport clubs to train in, to world-class coaches that help improve their skills and techniques. There are also regular national tournaments where all Qatari women teams get to play against each other. Football has always been popular with Qatari women, we always play matches in schools during our lunch breaks and some schools play one against another. The country is expanding the football opportunities for women as it is for all the other sports.

What role does football play in your community and Qatari society?

Football plays a great role in our society. Every city in Qatar has its own football team and sports club. You see children playing football in every yard. Personally, every Friday our family rents a big football field and plays, from children to adults which I find so nice. Football really does bring people together.

What ambitions do you have for the future?

I can’t wait to start studying dentistry and hopefully become a world-famous dentist one day. As His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani once said: “Qatar deserves the best” and I stand by that, which is why I want to give back to my country. One of my goals is to open my own clinic to help as many people as possible.

What one thing should the world know about football in Qatar? Do you have a message for the world?

Football unites people from all around the world, no matter what the size or culture of the country to which they belong. I think that is a perfect sentiment to finish this message on for all the football fans out there, and I can’t wait till the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ kicks-off next year!

Qatar’s former Amir Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, may he rest in peace, once said: “Everyone, welcome to Doha; everyone’s Doha”. 

For images, please click here.

This special series was created in collaboration between Qatar Airways and Goal Click.