SOURCE: FORBES MIDDLE EAST

BY: FREDERIC PAQUAY

The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia was a historical moment for the Arab world. For the first time in history, five MENA nations qualified for the World Cup finals: Iran (last participation in 2014), Saudi Arabia (2006), Tunisia (2006), Morocco (1998) and Egypt (1990).

Hopes were high in the region but eventually crashed. All five teams were eliminated during the Group phase, just after two matches. With the situation clearly being much more difficult for Morocco and Iran (in a group with Spain and Portugal) and Tunisia (in a group composed of England, Belgium and Panama), some still sensed it could have been a breakthrough year for Arab football, and especially for Egypt and its talisman Mo Salah (in a group composed of Russia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia).

However, nothing happened as expected. The only victories for Arab countries in the tournament were achieved by Tunisia (against Panama: 2-1), Iran (against Morocco: 1-0), and Saudi Arabia (against Egypt: 2-1). The victory was even more important for Saudi after its painful defeat during the inaugural match against Russia (5-0), in the presence of Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, who made the trip to Russia for the occasion and attended the competition at Vladimir Putin’s side in the VIP stand.

If diverse factors can partly explain the performance, such as injuries, misfortune and lack of experience at the highest level (Mo Salah’s shoulder injury before the start of the competition, very strong opponents for Tunisia and Morocco, etc), Tunisia’s coach Nabil Maaloul still explained, “There are common challenges in the Arab world that can explain the situation. We have the fighting spirit but we need to change our lifestyle, because it is not in line with high-level football. If we want to reach the required level of performance, we need to train and improve our fitness and physical strength.” Nelo Vingada, former coach of the KSA national team, as well as top clubs in Morocco and Egypt added, “There is still a gap between the Arab nations and the top countries in the world.”

Despite failing in Russia, the Arab world will be back in the spotlight in 2022 when Qatar hosts the World Cup.

In Saudi Arabia, football has been identified as a key leverage point in international relations and Jeddah will host the Italian Super Cup between AC Milan and Juventus in early 2019. The country plans to host more international championships and sporting events as it embarks on a wide-ranging program of social and economic reforms with its 2030 Vision.

Frederic Paquay is Senior Consultant, Public Sector & Government at Frost & Sullivan.