We are days away from the biggest tournament in the World the FIFA World Cup to be hosted by Qatar. The hosts have worked relentlessly to ensure the tournament is organized to the best standards as they have prepared everything for the 32 teams and thousands of fans who will attend the tournament.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been much-maligned unfairly by the Western Media who have resorted to focusing on sideshows away from football with some having hidden agendas to derail the hard work put to ensure a beautiful World Cup.

There are so many positive things happening in Qatar as the tournament will ebb a flow of popularity as the World prepares to witness what could possibly be one of the best World Cup tournament.

As football most glorious event heads to the Middle East it is important to take note that over the years FIFA has demonstrated a commitment to open up its product to a wider audience and take its premier sporting contest , the World Cup , to new Heartlands and now its definitely time for Middle East and specifically Qatar.

The USA saw the benefit of this initiative in 1994, before Japan and South Korea became both the first Asian nations and the first co-hosts for the historic competition in 2002. In 2010, the World Cup arrived at a fifth continent (Africa) and a new heartland was reached with the contest being taken to South Africa.

In 2022, after a return to Brazil and a sojourn to Russia, the Middle East will become the next bright destination for the Modiale bandwagon, as Qatar benefits from the truly global game. The region is among the fastest growing areas for football in the world and promises to be a endless stream of young, passionate football fans for years to come.

So far, the Western World has either ridiculed or derided the the tournament in Qatar but concentrating on flimsy grounds despite knowing so well that FIFA respects all opinions and beliefs without handing out moral lessons to the rest of the World , but if we ask ourselves genuinely the Western World points are as a result of a blind preference for the status quo at the expense of a wider consideration for the pros and cons of a proposed scenario?
One fact that presents itself is that Qatar edition of the World Cup is going  to be unique in its small-scale approach, giving the tournament a cosier feel that everyone needs.

This small-scale World Cup may encourage a warmer, cosier atmosphere among fans. The famed ‘fan zones’ and interaction of international supporters is one of the World Cup’s most well-publicised quirks. Travelling fans will have ample occasion to mix in the close quarters of the beautiful and developed Arab nation.

Qatar, acutely aware of their branding and marketing potential, will realise the importance of maximising the opportunity provided by the World Cup’s global audience and will endeavour to give the watching world a truly hi-tech spectacle in return.

One luxury Qatar boasts is ease of accessibility—the Arab state may only border one other nation, Saudi Arabia, but its location in the crucible between Asia and Africa, as well as its being a key destination for many major European airports, will mean that fans from various different corners of the world will be able to attend.
The convenient timezone will also allow spectators to keep up to date with the action with minimal disruption to their daily routines.

As an enthusiast and aficionado of the African game, I am excited by World Cup being played in Qatar as i have managed to visit the country in 3 times in the last three months and what i witnessed was a country ready to receive the World , a warm country with so much hospitality and therefore in my opinion its important we let football which is the beautiful game take the centre stage in Qatar devoid of the politics and other side shows the Western World has been sharing.

The excitement across the World ahead of the football showpiece is enough to tell anyone that football is what matters now the rest are just stories.

Lets meet in Qatar and enjoy the beautiful game.

Collins Okinyo

Ex- CAF Media Expert. An expert on African football with over 15 years experience ,always with an ear to the ground with indepth knowledge of the game. I have worked for top publications including 7 years at www.supersport.com until i founded www.soka25east.com to quench the thirst of football lovers across the continent. I have trained young upcoming journalists who are now a voice in African football.I have covered World Cup,AFCON,CHAN,Champions League,Confederations Cup,Cecafa,Cosafa,Wafu and many other football tournaments across the World. Founder Football Africa Arena(FAA),Founder www.afrisportdigital.com