DOHA: A high level delegation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday visited the Education City Stadium. Currently on a tour of Qatar, the CAF delegation – headed by President Ahmad Ahmad – was shown around the 40,000-capaicty venue that is under construction for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar. Placed in the heart of Education City campus, the under construction stadium will be the one of the venues to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup matches up to the quarterfinals. The seating capacity of the Education City Stadium will be reduced to half once the event comes to an end. The 20,000 seats will be eventually shipped to help building stadiums in developing countries. The decrease in capacity will not affect the aesthetics of the stadium, the visiting delegates of CAF were informed. Members of the CAF delegation praised the remarkable progress made in Qatar’s infrastructure and expressed their admiration for the construction of the venues. A FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be a unique opportunity for fans to experience a distinctive cultural experience during the tournament, as members of the CAF delegation stated. Members of the CAF delegation also stressed Qatar’s readiness to host the 2022 World Cup through what they saw preparations relying on innovation and creativity. The visiting delegation also praised the infrastructure development taking place across the country. Qatar has already impressed travelers coming into the country with its state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport and the Metro system which is now fast moving towards completion. The delegation also toured the Aspire Academy of Sports Excellence and the Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital on Thursday.

The delegation also learned of the great potential that Qatar has in the field of sport in general and football in particular.

The Aspire Academy, which was established in 2004, is famous for providing top-notch sports training and education for talented athletes in Qatar. The Aspire Academy also provides a unique educational and sporting environment to prepare Qatar’s young athletes for top events. In cooperation with the Qatari and international sports and academic institutions, the Aspire Academy also supports the requirements of the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the development of young players, as well as establishing the Academy’s place in society as the destination of sports events. The on-going visit of the CAF delegation is an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding the African body signed with Qatar Football Association (QFA) in May 2015.