Doha: Three-time African Cup of Nations winner and Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy ambassador Wael Gomaa has said he ‘wishes’ to see the remaining five Arab nations in contention for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 make it to the football fiesta.
So far, hosts Qatar are the only Arab team guaranteed a spot at the World Cup, while Saudi Arabia, who currently leads the Asian qualifying Group B, would secure their place if they beat China next month. However, the North African sides face a trickier road to the World Cup Finals. Egypt must beat Senegal, who they lost to in the African Cup of Nations final; Morocco take on DR Congo, Tunisia face Mali, and Algeria have a date against Cameroon.
In a recent media roundtable hosted by the SC, Gomaa said, “The levels of football have changed, and there are no small teams. The Arab teams can qualify to participate in the World Cup.”
“I wish the four Arab teams would qualify, and we do have the chance. Morocco can beat Congo, Tunisia can beat Mali, Algeria can defeat Cameroon, and Egypt against Senegal can be 50/50. I wish the four teams to be there at the World Cup, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, so we have six teams.”
Speaking on Egypt’s chances, Gomaa said, “We have some benefits from participating in the AFCON. We have young players about 14 of them played in the competition for the first time. They were able to get some experience, and we hope to see that translate when we play against Senegal in the play-offs. Senegal’s the top team in Africa, and in the AFCON, we played 120 minutes against them and only lost on penalties.”
The former Al Ahly legend, who made over 100 international appearances for the Egyptian national team, also lauded the FIFA Arab Cup last year. He said the tournament was a significant platform for Arab players, especially those based in the region, to showcase their talent and prepare them to break into the national teams.
“I think the countries who participated in the Arab Cup played fantastic games. The tournament was good for us to give a chance to some players to be stars. Some made it to the AFCON for their national teams, which is good for Arab football.”
So far, 15 countries, including hosts Qatar, have qualified for the World Cup, including Qatar, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, IR Iran, and the Republic of Korea.
