DOHA: Thousands of fans attended the final day of action in the FIFA Arab Cup as Algeria were crowned champions at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar.
The Greens beat Tunisia 2-0 after extra-time in the final to lift the trophy in front of a passionate crowd. Amir Sayoud and Yacine Brahimi were the scorers.
Algeria received the trophy from HH the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
It was the culmination of an exciting tournament, which saw the 16 best international teams from across the Arab region go head-to-head in six stadiums that will host matches during next year’s FIFA World Cup.
Prior to the final, Qatar claimed victory in the third-place play-off against Egypt at Stadium 974.
The pre-match ceremony at the final featured two special guests singing the respective national anthems: Saber Al Robai for Tunisia and Abdul Kader Jopanais for Algeria.
They were joined on the pitch by the Diwan Protocol Amiri Band and FIFA Legends Ali Al Habsi and Marcel Desailly, who accompanied the FIFA Arab Cup Trophy.
The post-match trophy ceremony paid tribute to the winning team and featured a stunning pyro and drone show.
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said: “Football’s power to unite our region was again illustrated during the FIFA Arab Cup. It was the perfect showcase for next year’s FIFA World Cup.”
This was the first pan-Arab tournament to be held under the FIFA umbrella and took place exactly a year before Qatar will host the region’s first FIFA World Cup.
The tournament featured 32 matches over 19 days and 83 goals, at an average of 2.59 per game.
It also provided Qatar with a vital opportunity to fine-tune preparations for the FIFA World Cup, which will kick off at Al Bayt on 21 November and conclude with the final at Lusail Stadium on 18 December.
Qatar is set to host the most compact version of the tournament in modern history, with all the stadiums in close proximity of central Doha and fans having the chance to attend more than one match a day during the early stages of the competition.
More than 500,000 tickets were sold during the FIFA Arab Cup, which featured the highest sporting attendance in Qatar’s history – 64,439 – when the host nation faced the United Arab Emirates in the quarterfinals at Al Bayt Stadium.
Qatar residents purchased the bulk of the tickets during the tournament, followed by international fans from Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
