It’s not every day that a World Cup team comes to town, and for a few hundred youngsters and a fair number of adult soccer fans, it was an exciting opportunity to watch the Qatar national team train at Westmont College on Thursday, June 4.
A banner reading “One Team. One Spirit.” greeted the players as they took the practice field. Qatar will need plenty of spirit if it hopes to advance from Group B, which includes Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Switzerland.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts, are ranked 51 in the world. The Maroons struggled through the qualifying rounds under Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui, and recent preparation has been limited by disruptions related to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
Among those in attendance were students from Franklin Elementary School and several players from Santa Barbara High School, eager to catch a glimpse of Qatar star Akram Afif, the left winger who plays for Al Sadd in the Qatari Stars League.
Joshua Santiago, who will be a sophomore at Santa Barbara High in the fall, said he was interested in studying how the professionals moved the ball. After greeting fans, the Qatari squad went through warm-up drills before breaking into groups for a spirited football-tennis competition, with winners advancing to a final match at midfield.
The session concluded with a jersey giveaway, and many fans left with signed souvenirs. Qatar opens World Cup play on June 13 against Switzerland at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Asked for his World Cup prediction, Santiago answered without hesitation: “France or Portugal.”
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