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Tribune News Network
DOHA
Ten teams will vie for the top honours in the second African Communities Football Tournament after the draw was held at the Algerian Embassy in Doha.
As part of the Qatar Football Association's (QFA) social responsibility strategy, the tournament is one of QFA's examples of community partnerships in which the national football body aims to provide a platform for the community to be able to play more football.
In a move aimed at strengthening the role of football within the local community and instilling a culture of practising more football by creating a suitable environment for the teams, the QFA will be providing its support through securing stadiums, referees, match balls and tournament regulations.
The draw was conducted in the presence of the Algerian Ambassador to Qatar, His Excellency Abdul Aziz Sabe, Hussein al Sharshani, General Coordinator of the championship from QFA, Ahmad al Rumaihi and Othman Blake, QFA officials, and the 10 team representatives.
The teams have been divided into two groups of five teams each. Group A includes South Africa, Algeria, Eretria, Mali, and Ethiopia, while Group B has Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Senegal and Burkina Faso.
The teams will first play group stage matches followed by a semi-finals stage contested by the top two teams from each pool.
The tournament will kick off on February 15 and the opening ceremony will be attended by all the ambassadors of the participating countries. Matches will be played on the training field of Al Arabi Stadium on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays of each week. Two matches will be held each day, the first at 8:30 pm and the second at 10 pm. The semi-finals will be played on March 12.
The tournament will end on March 17 with the top three teams getting medals.
The first match will pit Tanzania against Burkina Faso while the second will have South Africa against Ethiopia.
The tournament is expected to receive great attention and attendance from the African communities in Qatar as it represents a real opportunity for them to pursue their hobby of playing both fun and competitive football.
This even is one of many community initiatives organised by the QFA. The QFA is currently organising the Asian Communities Football Tournament, besides hosting and supporting football tournaments for the Indian community.
