The build up to the 2022 World Cup was confounding as participating countries and fans waited in anticipation for its commencement. However what Olawale Ayeni, LEADERSHIP’s correspondent in the United Kingdom, did not envisage was a call to cover the biggest tournament of the year. He narrates his experience in this piece.
My remarkable journey to Qatar 2022 World Cup started with a phone call on my way back home from the hustle and bustle in the streets of London, United Kingdom, on a Thursday night, from the LEADERSHIP Head of story, Mr Adebayo Amodu. He said the Editor-in-Chief, Mr Azu Ishiekwene, would like to speak to me. I really knew something big was coming with the big masquerade out.
Mr Ishiekwene asked after my well-being in London and requested if I would be available to cover the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, I wasted no time in accepting the offer. The desire of every sports journalist is to cover the biggest football tournament in the universe just like the dream of every footballer to play in the mundial.Prior to the call, I had no intention of going to Qatar, hence getting the FIFA media accreditation to cover the event immediately was a huge task with the tournament just a few weeks away. After making some calls I had to settle for the Host Country Media accreditation which gave access to Qatar, FIFA Fan Festival venues and other interesting sites to visit but with no access to the World Cup Stadiums.
I wasted no time in coming up with a media plan to cover the World Cup which was approved and went ahead to book my tickets and get my bags packed. It was clear skies till my descent in Hamad International Airport in Doha on Thursday, December 1.
On my arrival at the Airport, one could already catch World Cup fever with the posters and billboard designs of the La’eeb which is the Official Mascot of the Games. After my immigration checks I went ahead to get a Qatar sim card, change some currency and head out to take the Metro train to my accommodation at Al Khor and Thakhira.
Onboard the train, I saw a lot of beautiful faces both young and old adorned in their country’s colors in full support of their national teams chanting and singing. I later retired to my room with high hopes of what tomorrow will bring.
After a sound sleep, I got up about the day after getting my equipment ready for coverage. Leaving my room at the hotel, I discovered that there was an assembly point where guests for the World Cup would be convened to the train station which made life easier. On our way to the station they were beautiful sights to behold as regards facilities and the culture of the Arab nation with its rich oil well.
Alighting from the train, I enlisted the help of some very nice Qataris to navigate my way to the Host Country Media Centre located in the beautiful city of Msheireb Downtown, while waiting for the train, I saw a man working as one of the volunteers from his voice one could easy tell that is from the Southern part of Nigeria, I approached him and we chatted about home and country for few minutes, where he revealed to me that, him and many other Nigerians traveled to Qatar just to volunteer at the tournament to feed their families back home, he was indeed helpful he gave the map of Qatar just to help me navigate my way around the country.
Reaching the media centre, my accreditation was given to me within five minutes after my international passport was scanned, I saw some of my Nigerian colleagues from different media organisations. Immediately I jetted out to interview some fans who engaged themselves with banters ahead of the Black Stars of Ghana Vs. Uruguay clash. Afterwards I took a visit to the FIFA Main Ticketing Centre at Doha Exhibition & Convention Center – DECC, to get a ticket for the Ghana match. On reaching the ticket centare, I met a mammoth crowd waiting to buy match day tickets to gain entry to watch different games. To the greatest surprise of everyone all group stage matches tickets were sold out on the display board but some people still kept faith hoping for a miracle to happen while some took advantage of the situation and starting selling off their tickets at higher rates as high as $1,000 against the $250 which was the standard rate for the tickets.
It was almost time for the Ghana against Uruguay match at the Al-Janoub Stadium, I finally settled for tickets of $800 after a lengthy bargain. It was also time to join the Abuja LEADERSHIP TV studio for the World Cup show where we analyzed how the Ghana team should approach the game and other matches for the day. Against the run of play the Black stars of Ghana lost the match 0-2 to Uruguay as both teams crashed out of the tournament while Portugal 1-2 defeat to South Korea saw both teams qualifying to the Round of 16 from Group H.
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After the game, Ghanaian fans both young and old stayed back to clean up the stadium while the Uruguay fans were still in shock at their elimination from the world showpiece, I interviewed some Ghanaians on why they were cleaning the stadium despite their defeat, I was told they were inspired to do so by other countries fansmat the mundial, they also expressed their joy for the exit of Luis Suárez after the Uruguayan captain denied Ghana to become the first African country to reach the World Cup Semifinals in 2010 with a last minutes handball. After such an eventful day I retired to my room.
The next day was the kick off of the Round of 16 matches as Netherlands thrashed USA 3-1 while Argentina narrowly beat Australia 2-1. Prior to the match I took a trip via the metro stations to Corniche venue of the FIFA Fan Festival, where fans can watch all the 64 FIFA World Cup matches in a buzzing atmosphere, with performances by top global music artistes, as well as local artists, food court with unique culinary experiences ranging from local cuisine to international delicacies, unique football matches with FIFA Legends, in addition to interactive physical and digital football gaming stations for fans of all ages and innovative sponsor activities, dedicated football exhibitions and an official FIFA Store with licensed FIFA World Cup products.
I interviewed some fans from different countries on which nation they would be supporting to win the World Cup and most people were rooting for their country as the fans were enjoying the atmosphere making new friends and networking with other nationalities. In true form one could see that sports was indeed a unifying factor binding all races and nations.
As one of the 1.4 million persons that visited Qatar for the World Cup, it has really changed my perspective prior to the World Cup as against negative reports by the foreign media about Qatar, as the experience and the memories from the Arab nation will never be forgotten in my lifetime , therefore it was with a pained heart I bid Qatar goodbye as my World Cup journey was cut short by a call from London.
