Fourteen Arab nations will contest play-off matches as they seek to qualify for the FIFA Arab Cup 2021™ – which will take place in Qatar later this year.
From 19-25 June, the final seven places at the tournament will be confirmed when qualifying matches are held at two venues: Khalifa International Stadium and Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.
The winning teams will book their place at the finals, which will take place from 30 November to 18 December. The tournament will support Qatar’s preparations for the FIFA World Cup™ and showcase the region’s passion for the beautiful game. As per the FIFA Rankings, the following nine teams have already qualified for the tournament: Qatar (hosts), Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates and Syria.
Tickets for the games are priced at QAR 20 each and are available to buy from the Qatar Football Association website: tickets.qfa.qa. Fans must be aged 12 and over and have received both COVID-19 vaccinations or have fully recovered from COVID-19 in the last nine months.
Fans are encouraged to use public transport to attend the matches. Both stadiums are within walking distance of a Doha Metro station. Khalifa International Stadium is close to Sport City Station, while Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium is served by Al Sudan Station. Both stations are on the Gold Line.
The first tournament-ready venue for Qatar 2022, Khalifa International will host the opening match of the qualifiers between African rivals Libya and Sudan on 19 June, followed by Jordan versus South Sudan on 21 June. Lebanon and Djibouti will then meet on 23 June before Gulf rivals Bahrain and Kuwait contest the final qualification match on 25 June.
Khalifa International is no stranger to staging major football and sporting events. The Asian Games, Arabian Gulf Cup and AFC Asian Cup have all taken place in the 40,000-capacity stadium. In 2019, it hosted the IAAF World Athletics Championships and the FIFA Club World Cup™. During Qatar 2022, the stadium is set to host eight matches up to and including the third-place play-off.
Built in 1976, the stadium underwent an extensive redevelopment in order to prepare it for the World Cup, with the new-look venue inaugurated on 19 May 2017 when it hosted that year’s Amir Cup final. The redevelopment included the addition of innovative cooling technology, a new tier that added 12,000 seats and a new façade. A new LED lighting system was also incorporated in the venue to boost the fan experience.
Situated in the heart of Aspire Zone – Qatar’s centre of sporting excellence – Khalifa International was the first Qatar 2022 venue to achieve Global Sustainability Assessment System certification when it received a four-star design and build rating for its redevelopment.
Following Qatar 2022, Khalifa International will continue its long tradition as a top sporting venue by serving as Qatar’s national stadium.
The home of Qatar Stars League side Al Sadd, Jassim Bin Hamad will stage three Arab Cup qualifiers, starting with Oman versus Somalia on 20 June. Mauritania will take on Yemen on 22 June before Palestine face Comoros on 24 June.
Built-in 1974, the 12,946-capacity stadium was redeveloped for the 2004 Arabian Gulf Cup. The venue has also been home to the Qatar national team and staged many top-level matches. This included the final set of games in Group E of the Asian zone qualifiers for Qatar 2022 earlier this month.
Source and cover image Supreme Committee Press Release
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