Omani and Saudi fans decorate the Gulf derby sports

The stands of Education City Stadium were filled with large crowds from the Sultanate of Oman and Saudi Arabia, who gathered to support their teams in an atmosphere full of enthusiasm. The stands were decorated with green and red flags, while children, youth, women and men sat side by side, but their chants varied between “Oh God, Omani” and “This Saudi, may God bless him.”

Fan from Oman:

Among those crowds, the young Omani Abdullah Al-Mahri stood out, who came to Qatar to attend the Arab Cup competitions and encourage his country’s national team. Abdullah told Al Jazeera Net, “I had previously visited Qatar for tourism and work, but this time I came with the motive of watching the Arab Cup matches after my friends encouraged me to attend.”

He adds with confidence: “Our next match against Morocco will be very strong, but the Omani national team is capable of confronting it, God willing.”

Saudi National Team Fans Council:

Near where he was sitting, Al Jazeera Net met Saudi fan Salem Abdul Rahman, who attended wearing a green shirt, but what caught attention was the phrase written on the back of his shirt: Saudi National Team Fans Council.

Salem says, after interrupting his speech to catch up with the celebration of Saudi Arabia’s first goal, “Praise be to God…we have the championship.”

Then he explains, “I am a member of the Saudi National Team Fans Council Association, which was established in Riyadh in approximately 2018, and later expanded to include branches in various cities of the Kingdom. This association brings together club fan associations under one umbrella to support the national team.”

Salem adds that joining the association is available to everyone and is free, explaining: “The state did not neglect us, as it takes care of travel, housing, match tickets, and everything we need while accompanying the team. I thank our brother Fahd Al-Shakri, president of the association, for he did not neglect us, and everything is organized.”

He continues his talk about the nature of work within the association, saying, “We meet constantly to coordinate among ourselves. We prepare songs and chants, prepare slogans and banners, determine travel dates, entry to the stadium and seating locations, and everything that can contribute to supporting and motivating the team.”

Final predictions:

Regarding his expectations for the Arab Cup final, Salem is likely to bring together Saudi Arabia and Morocco, considering that the two teams are performing strong in the tournament. He concludes with confidence, “I am sure that Saudi Arabia will be in the final, God willing.”