DOHA, Qatar—Chaotic scenes broke out inside and outside the fan festival at Al Bidda Park in Doha on Nov. 20 an hour before the opening FIFA World Cup match between host Qatar and Ecuador, after organizers allowed too many fans to flood the precinct.
The venue has a capacity of 40,000 people but at least twice that number of people tried to make their way in and, for a long time, many were let into a holding area between the main festival park and the perimeter entrance.
Police realized the problem and had to shepherd irate supporters out of the venue.
“It was dangerous,” one fan, who had exited the holding area while carrying an about 4-year-old child, told Reuters.
“They let too many people in. We never made it into the main area, and I was glad to leave.”
The police took about 45 minutes to clear the excess fans.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the tournament’s organizers, didn’t immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Frustrated local fans, volunteers, and media were visibly upset with the police, but supporters of other countries appeared to be more understanding.
While there was chaos in the holding area, the scene inside the park seemed pleasant, with Brazilian fans Andrea Nascimento and Raphael de Jesus appreciating the atmosphere.
“I think Qatar will be a great host. Now that the games are starting, the vibe is building,” de Jesus said.
“This is my third World Cup after 2014 and 2018, and so far, everything has been very well organized.”
He described it as “a party involving many countries of the world.”
Multiple Flags
Elsewhere, at the famous Souk Waqif market, fans from all over the world converged with many Saudi Arabia and Iran flags on display, plus a strong South American representation.For 20 Qatari riyals, fans could do three laps of a pen on the back of a muzzled camel, overlooked by the studios of TV broadcasters.
As kickoff approached, the narrow streets of the Souk began to empty, the air filled with the scent of spices and dried fruit on sale outside the various shops.
Fans gathered below the TV studios, craning their necks to try to get a view of the action on the big screens through the windows.
A group of fans sat inside a Majlis, an air-conditioned sitting room, with their eyes glued to a television screen. Several tables set up for Shatranj, an old form of chess, lay vacant on the other side of the room as football fever gripped the patrons.
