Dr. Mahfoud Amara
This January, the football world has been captivated by two major football continental tournaments unfolding almost simultaneously: the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar and the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, occurring just months before the European Cup of Nations.
FIFA’s president attended the AFC’s opening ceremony in Doha, swiftly followed by a visit to Abidjan for the commencement of the AFCON. This dual presence underscores football’s global influence across continents and nations.
These tournaments exemplify football’s globalization, evidenced by players from these continents featuring in European leagues and teams coached by Europeans and Latin Americans. The tournaments have garnered global attention, broadcast on numerous TV channels, spotlighting both established and emerging stars poised to energize the winter transfer market.
They have also attracted diverse stakeholders, including corporate sponsors repositioning their brands in the international arena post-COVID, which had significantly impacted the international sports calendar and sponsorship revenues. Notably, construction companies from China and Turkiye have competed to build state-of-the-art stadiums in both continents.
China’s involvement in African stadium construction has emerged as a significant diplomatic and soft power strategy. Moreover, Japanese and South Korean technologies have played pivotal roles in various aspects of sports event organization, data, and performance analysis.
The Asian Cup and AFCON are unfolding against a complex geopolitical backdrop, particularly in West Asia. Nations participating in the Asian Cup are directly and indirectly affected by the situation in Gaza. The Palestinian national team’s participation in the Asian Cup, amidst the ongoing struggles in Gaza and the West Bank, sends a powerful message of resilience and national identity.
The geopolitical ramifications of the Gaza conflict have notably reverberated across several participating nations in the 2023 Asian Cup, including Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. Iran, in particular, faces allegations of providing financial and military support to various regional factions.
In this intricate geopolitical landscape, Qatar, as the host of the 2023 Asian Cup, and to a lesser extent Saudi Arabia, the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, are actively engaged in behind-the-scenes negotiations, mediating among diverse regional and international entities to navigate these complex dynamics
Last and not least for Qatar, hosting the 2023 Asian Cup is timely, following the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It offers an opportunity to reuse World Cup facilities, revitalizing tourism and related economic sectors, this time with enhanced experience and expertise in major sports event management.
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University
Dr. Mahfoud Amara is an Associate Professor in Sport Social Sciences and Management at Qatar University.
