The decision to award Qatar the World Cup will forever be disputed, but what football pedigree do the hosts actually have? Via Guardiola, Batistuta and a recent loss against Linfield, FFT investigates
Words John Duerden
On a Wednesday afternoon in Doha, in October 1981, the streets were empty. Temperatures in the Qatari capital aren’t exactly conducive to an outdoor lifestyle in any case, but this time there was an even greater reason to stay at home. More than 7,500 miles away, national history was about to be made.
Hordes of people huddled around television screens to watch the footage being beamed back from Sydney. Just 10 years after Qatar had officially become an independent nation, cutting ties with the United Kingdom, its under-20s team were facing England in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Youth Championship.
For a country that had only 600 registered footballers, qualifying for the tournament for the first time had been achievement enough, after finishing second to South Korea at the 1980 Asian Youth Championship. In Australia, they began by beating Poland 1-0 and drawing 1-1 with the USA, to eliminate both and squeeze through to the last eight behind Uruguay. There, they sensationally knocked out Brazil 3-2, thanks to a hat-trick from Khalid Salman.
It set up a showdown with the Three Lions at Sydney Cricket Ground. Twelve minutes into the match, as Qataris watched on back home in the Middle East, a cross was hooked towards the edge of the penalty area and Badr Bilal connected with a bicycle kick, sending the ball arrowing into the bottom corner. “That was the best moment of my football life,” the forward later reminisced. An England side containing future senior internationals Neil Webb and Danny Wallace (the latter listed under his real name David) huffed and puffed but couldn’t get back on level terms, as Qatar triumphed 2-1.
Unfortunately, their celebrations had to be cut short at the final whistle, following an unseemly pitch invasion. “Many of the spectators who invaded the field wore Union Jack shirts and scarves – and one of those arrested was a skinhead,” wrote the Sydney Morning Herald. “Supporters of Qatar from Sydney’s Arab community had gone on to the ground to congratulate their players. It appeared that England supporters went on looking for trouble and quickly brawls broke out. Bilal was punched and kicked, and had to be carried off.”
The marksman recovered in time to start the final against West Germany, but Qatar lost 4-0, struggling to play in heavy rain that they were totally unaccustomed to. E
