DOHA: The Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Algerian Football Federation (AFF) on Thursday signed a cooperation agreement to develop the game in both countries. The signing agreement was headed by QFA President Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani and Charaf-Eddine Amara, President of AFF The signing of the agreement came on the sidelines of the presence of the AFF delegation that was in the Qatari capital after it participated in the draw for the FIFA Arab Cup which took place last Tuesday. The signing ceremony was attended by Mohamed Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Director General of Aspetar and CEO of Aspire Zone Foundation, Ali Daoud, Executive Director of the Office of QFA President, and Mushtaq Al Waili, Executive Director of the Strategic and Institutional Planning Office of QFA. Mohamed Saad, Secretary General of AFF, was also present. The Thursday meeting comes as an important step on the path of the agreements signed by QFA which are part of its strategy to develop football in Qatar and strengthen its relationships with its counterparts from all federations, whether continental, Arab or international. The two parties aim to invest in fraternal relations and the distinguished bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries in a way that takes football to higher heights. QFA and AFF will also look at ways and means to enhance the junior football in both countries besides developing mechanism to boost football activity. The cooperation agreement is an extension of the agreement signed in 2019 when the two bodies decided to go for cooperation in the field of sports medicine between Aspetar and AFF. Under the agreement, the Algerian national football teams will continue to benefit from the medical support provided during various competitions by Aspetar's specialized medical teams and other world-class services provided by the FIFA-accredited hospital. The agreement, which will last for five years, also focuses on cooperation in more than one major field with regard to technical and professional exchange of experiences at the level of national teams and junior football teams.