A wide gapping and dangerous hole has reportedly opened up in the venue slated for the final of the 2022 World Cup.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off in a few days, with national teams already jamming the airports of the Gulf state with their World Cup squads ahead of the tournament.
The hosts Qatar will open the tournament on Sunday, November 20th, when they face Ecuador.
They have embarked on massive construction and rehabilitation of structures, including the building and renovation of stadiums to prepare for the tournament.
However, the build-up has reportedly been marked with a series of challenges.
According to the Sun, there have been criticisms of beer prices and food prices, while the tiny £200 per night rooms have been slammed.
But these may be superficial challenges compared to the recent development, which has sparked reactions among netizens.
A dizzying and threatening hole was spotted in the 80,000-capacity Lusail stadium, with fears that it must have emanated from a technical flaw.
From the footage, the large hole was a walking distance away from the Lusail Stadium, which will host the final of the tournament.
The Lusail Stadium is one of the largest and most iconic stadiums among other venues that will host the tournament.
With its 80,000-capacity stand, the stadium will host its first World Cup match on November 22, two days after the tournament’s opening match between Qatar and Ecuador.
The Lusail Stadium will host a total of 10 World Cup games, including the quarterfinal, first semifinal, and final. Hence Qatari authorities have been called upon to quickly rectify and fix the problem before the first game in the stadium, which will be between Argentina and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the footage of the hole has attracted widespread reaction on social media, with many dismissing the attention on the hole as unnecessary.
In contrast, others blame western media for biased coverage of the gains of the local organizing committee and the efforts of the Qatari government so far.
Qatar’s preparedness for the World Cup
All 64 matches of the 2022 World Cup will be hosted across eight stadiums in Doha. It has been confirmed that Qatar Local Organizing Committee, in conjunction with International Organizing Committee, have ensured close proximity to the stadiums to ease the stress of navigating long drives to watch matches.
All eight stadiums are just a maximum of one hour drive away from each other, making it easy for fans to access matches easily.
Apart from the massive infrastructural upgrade, including transportation systems, Qatar have reiterated their preparedness to level the cultural divide with other countries and welcome all fans of all cultural shade to the tournament.
However, they have emphasized the need for tolerance and respect for the culture of the Qatari people.
