MOGAMAD ALLIE: Polemics about Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup are par for the course

As the kickoff time for the 22nd edition of the Soccer World Cup starts poking its head above the horizon, controversies about Qatar’s hosting of the event continue to dominate the headlines.

With only 11 days to go before the host nation sets off the tournament with the opening game against Ecuador, the build-up to the tournament and the chances of the 32 teams have thus far received scant coverage.

With most club competitions worldwide still in full swing, the paucity in coverage of the footballing aspect of Fifa’s flagship event isn’t surprising as much of the attention is still strongly focused on the league competitions in Europe that take a six-week break this weekend.

But very much like World Cups in SA, Brazil and Russia, lots of light has been shone on the problems confronting the host nation. The Qataris have been irked by attention being drawn to the harsh working conditions of the mainly foreign contingent who have had to do hard labour in temperatures rising to 50°C, poor remuneration and deaths, said by the Guardian newspaper to number more than 6,500.

The workers who come from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are believed to have died while working on the construction of seven new stadiums as well as a new airport, roads, public transport systems, about 100 new hotels and a new city.

The Qatar government has disputed the figures, saying not all deaths recorded were of people working on World Cup-related projects.

There has also been human rights issues and objections to the country’s regulations that outlaw same-sex relationships.

Welcomed assurances

Fifa’s effort to calm the storm by writing to all 32 nations that will be competing in the tournament and urging them “to let football take centre stage” has evoked an immediate response from 10 European nations. These countries, while acknowledging that “significant progress” has been made by Qatar in tackling key issues regarding the rights of migrant workers, have also insisted that human rights issues cannot be ignored.

They have welcomed the assurances given by the Qatar government and Fifa on the safety, security and inclusion of all fans who will be travelling to watch the World Cup, also those from the LGBTQ+ community.

It is clear that the pressure by some of the competing nations and organisations such as Amnesty International and the International Labour Organisation have had an impact on the improvement of working conditions for migrant workers in the oil and gas-rich country. Hopefully the other countries in the Gulf region that still have oppressive labour legislation on their statute books will follow suit.

The controversy about Qatar’s hosting has virtually become par for the course before recent World Cups.

South Africans will no doubt remember reports emanating from the UK about how dangerous the country would be for travelling fans. Some sensationalist tabloids even recommended that travelling British fans pack stab-proof vests in their luggage! Others went as far as suggesting that Fifa had put Australia on standby to host the tournament as “Plan B” because SA’s infrastructure would not be ready in time.

Of course, all of this was hogwash and the country successfully hosted a vibrant and colourful World Cup that is still widely regarded by many as the best yet to be staged by Fifa.

Racism issues

In 2014 there were local protest marches just a few days before the start of the World Cup in Brazil, with fans complaining about the vast amounts of public money being spent on building stadiums. Nine workers died during the construction of stadiums, further inflaming discontent. But the protests died down the moment Brazil played Croatia in the opening game as the passion for the game took over. The tournament itself was a resounding success, despite the host nation’s embarrassing 7-1 defeat in the semifinal at the hands of ultimate winners Germany.

There was also controversy before the most recent tournament, in Russia, where issues of racism in football, allegations of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and the country’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 were highlighted as reasons for the tournament to be moved. This time England was touted as Plan B. Still the tournament went ahead without any major problems, the only hitch a protest by four people who ran onto the pitch during the final between France and Croatia.

With 97% of the 3-million tickets available on the open market already sold, there is little doubt that once the action gets under way in Doha on November 20 the focus will shift to the football, as always seems to be the case.

Of course, there will be the inevitable complaints about a variety of issues, but in the end the debates will be about refereeing decisions, team tactics and selections, stunning goals as well as missed opportunities.

As for the football, it will be interesting to see how the tournament unfolds. Will France retain their title? Will Brazil clinch a record-extending sixth World Cup and lift the trophy for the first time in 20 years? Can Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi finally embellish their exceptional careers with success in what should be their last appearance on the biggest stage of all? And how far can African favourites Senegal go in the tournament?