By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Fierce rivals Brazil and Argentina will meet in a prestige friendly in Qatar in the latest high-profile attempt by the oil-rich Gulf nation to prove it can stage top-class football – despite the region’s notoriously stifling heat.
The match, on November 17, represents the latest offensive by Qatar to promote its 2022 World Cup campaign on the lines of the Brazil v England friendly at the same time last year.
It is understood that Qatar twice tried to line up Spain to play in Doha against their own national team – first in September, then November.
Both plans were thwarted when the world champions decided to take on Argentina and Portugal respectively, the second of those fixtures as part of the joint Spanish-Portuguese bid for the 2018 World Cup.
Brazil v Argentina is no ordinary substitute – both on and off the pitch. Fifa’s 24-strong executive committee that votes on December 2 includes representatives from both countries, a canny political strategy on the part of the Qataris to lobby for South American support.
Qatar’s bid committee is expecting a huge international presence at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha for one of the great rivalries in world football, utilising the opportunity to showcase some of Qatar’s salient features, not least its much-publicised cooling technology.
Organisers have put together a veritable galaxy of legends from both competing countries to be introduced to the fans before the game.
They include Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning skipper Carlos Alberto and Argentina’s 1978 icons Mario Kempes and Ossie Ardiles (pictured).
The choice of Ardiles, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, is particularly interesting since he is one of the ambassadors for England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
“It is a great idea and I am honoured to have been chosen,” said Ardiles.
The game coincides with Aspire4Sport, a four-day international congress featuring major forums and coaching clinics including a tennis exhibition between John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.
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