Migrant workers unbothered by Qatar’s loss to Ecuador

• Thousands of migrant workers flocked to the Industrial Area Fan Zone
• They were behind its preparations
• They were disappointed after their host country lost to Ecuador

Thousands of migrant workers flocked to the Industrial Area Fan Zone in Qatar’s capital Doha to watch the historic opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 between Qatar and Ecuador.

The atmosphere was electric. The throngs of primarily South Asian labourers from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, as well as some workers from Africa, were almost all men and had contributed to the construction of the infrastructure that made it possible for the World Cup to take place.

TURN UP AT DOHA INDUSTRIAL PARK

They were more than prepared to take in the game and celebrate their hard work on Sunday night. Some others arrived in their work overalls after arriving directly from their occupations. Others had the day off, and other employees had requested permission to leave work early to watch the game.

Migrant workers Doha. Photo by Reuters

The excitement among football supporters in this industrial neighbourhood was unabated. It is the residence of many of Qatar’s migrant labour population.

They turned up in droves despite being around 30km (19 miles) southwest of central Doha and the official FIFA Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park.

Muhammad Hossein, 45, told Al Jazeera that being at Asian Town Cricket Stadium following the match is thrilling. Hossein said he had previously worked on building a metro station in Doha as one of the several World Cup-related infrastructure projects and was currently employed there as a janitor.

He claimed that participating in the World Cup was a “huge deal” for him personally and that it was the first time a Muslim nation had hosted the event.

He claimed that he had never imagined that he would be part of anything this momentous in this country. Despite the fact that Bangladesh is one of the top cricket-playing nations in the world, Hossein said he does not see Bangladesh replicating a similar success in international football, at least not anytime soon.

“My country has no chance in my lifetime … to qualify for the World Cup, or host it,” he said.

QATAR WORLD CUP HOST HISTORY

With a population of only 2.8 million, Qatar is the first Muslim-majority nation in the Middle East to host the FIFA World Cup. It took a herculean effort, primarily from foreign workers, to prepare the nation for the games.

Peter, an Indian worker, said that the World Cup brought a new face to Qatar. He stated that neither the Metro nor the buses on the roadways now were not available in the past.  He says that if the World Cup had never happened, none of the structures on the Corniche, the highways, or the roads would have been built.

People rushed into the fan zone before the game began, filling the area with the delightful aromas of biryanis being prepared at food stands.

However, as soon as the referee sounded his whistle, all eyes turned to the massive television board and Qatar, who was unquestionably the popular favourite.

The tens of thousands of spectators cheered loudly every time a Qatari player gained possession or launched a counterattack.

Migrant workers Doha. Photo byKhaleej Times

QATAR LOSING TO ECUADOR

Unfortunately, Qatar came up short and only trailed Ecuador 2-0 at the end of the game, with two goals coming in the first half.

Twenty to thirty minutes prior to the game, the gates to the fan zone in this Doha industrial area opened. The Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s address and Korean BTS artist Jungkook’s performance both drew enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Many people took pictures of the opening ceremony using their cell phones and forwarded them to family members who were far away since they were working in Qatar.

The employees’ fan zone also had music, with a DJ spinning popular Indian songs, including Panjabi MC’s hit “Mundian to Bach Ke,” which the audience seemed to enjoy.