A tale of two headers, I told myself. From joy to despair in two minutes. The ways of football are many. The final minutes of a match hide beside them innumerable surprises, twists and turns. They may or may not spring out all of a sudden but when they do, they bring cheer and misery along with it.

What happened at the King Fahd International Stadium on Wednesday night was etched clearly on Jose Peseiro's face. Minutes ago, the Saudi national team's coach was in seventh heaven as Hamad al-Montashari's goal in the dying minutes of extra time took the Saudis one step closer to South Africa. And then came the stunner. With the Saudis still in the celebratory mood, they failed to defend a Bahraini corner and unmarked Ismail Abdul Latif headed in the equaliser to silence the home crowd and leave the Saudi players stunned and paralysed.

If complacency played a part in the final goal, Bahrain’s first goal was a classic example of poor defending. Abdullah Omar’s ball into the area was allowed through by three defenders and Jaycee John was left waiting at the far post to flick it in. A match that could have been a well-fought victory for the Falcons, ended in utter disappointment.
As for the Bahrainis it was the perfect reward for their never-give-up attitude which has seen them through many famous battles with more illustrious sides. They can look forward to repeating this performance against New Zealand in the Asia-Oceania play-off, which decides who gets the ticket to South Africa.

-Will Ronaldo and Kaka shine at Madrid?
-Will Manchester United succeed without Ronaldo?
-Will Ibrahimovic form a good partnership with Messi and Henry?
-Will Portugal and France miss the flight to South Africa?
-Will Real Madrid overtake Barcelona?
-Where is Ribery off to?
-Will England win the World Cup?
-Will Owen return to the national team?
-Who will win the Champions League?
-Will Barca be world champions as well?
-Will Maradona be fired?

So many questions. And the answers? Only one thing to do. Wait and see.

A ball. 22 players. Two goal-posts...and wait..two sets of loud and passionate fans. That's the world's most popular game. In brief.

A war called football.....

Winning or losing doesn't matter a lot;
but when it comes to football,
that's what we think about.
It's a matter of life and death-
No! its so much more
Every kick, every goal, every blade of grass
we play till our feet get sore.
I hope you know
that you can't ask for any rest;
You'll get it when you deserve it
and that's after beating the best

Twenty years have passed since a Qatari club last lifted the AFC Champions League title. No one has come close to emulating that triumph ever since. But Umm Salal has changed all that in 2009. With an intelligent coach at the helm and gritty determination instilled in the team, they knocked out the champions of Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia to find themselves a place in the quarterfinals of Asia’s premier club competition. And they don’t look like they have finished. The team has clearly benefitted from the right selection of players. Qatari football fans can dream of yet another continental title.

This year's revamped Qatar Stars League has brought many changes to the way the game is played and viewed in the country. But there are some areas where there is still room for improvement. One such case is that of fan support.

High-voltage derbies between Rayyan, Gharafa and Sadd have brought large numbers to the stadiums while most others have not. Clubs should take a leaf out of Al-Khor's book. They have been able to build up a considerably strong fan base in the northern city. I hope such initiatives will be repeated next year too. Fans should come to the stadium to enjoy the match and not for airline tickets and shopping vouchers.

Foriegn journalists believe that Qatari football is all about star-studded teams and empty stadiums. It will take a lot of hardwork on the side of the authorities to change such stereotypes.

Coming soon:
-My 2008 Football Review
-Galacticos in Madrid: Dream or Disaster?

Need for change

The month gone by has been a memorable one for Indian sports. India’s junior volleyball team gave the mighty Brazilians a scare before finishing a creditable fourth in the World Championships. Sania Mirza finished second in two ITF events at Lexington and Vancouver. We can hope that she does well at the US Open. And then, India’s very own Formula One team, Force India recorded its first points ever when Giancarlo Fisichella finished second for the Vijay Mallya’s team. Mallya, the visionary that he is, marched on defying the countless failures and setbacks that came his way before leading the team to success. Last but definitely not least, India’s football team edged out Syria on penalties to claim a hat-trick of international titles.
As Indians savour these occasional moments of joy, I ask: isn’t a country with a billion-plus population supposed to deliver continuous success? We have talented youngsters with huge potential who wait for an opportunity. It’s high time that we give them what they want. For that I propose radical change from the lowest level to the top. Not only just the authorities but the way sport is run and organised should undergo change. The triumphs that I mentioned above were mostly due to the individuals own determination and efforts. This was the case with Abhinav Bindra who won India’s first individual Olympic medal. He mostly trained with the support from his father’s business and other private companies. The support from the government was quite minimal. The unfortunate but skilled sportsmen and women who do not have all the necessary facilities are left in the dark. The ministers who rule India’s sports federations are to blame. Many of them, who know nothing about the situation of sports in the country, pledge large amounts of money which seem to vanish into thin air. They should be replaced with ex-sports people who know what they are up with and are capable of taking India to the next level in the world sports arena. The government should support them with funding to provide quality sports infrastructure. This should be easy considering the fact that millions of rupees are spent for cricket. Taking a leaf out of China’s and Qatar’s book, talent search centres should be set up in every nook and cranny of the country discovering potential talent and developing them.
If we set up a good foundation, we can be sure of achievements at the highest level in the near future. Even a dozen medals at the 2012 Olympics will be an attainable target. We will be able to build a sports setup that churns out Usain Bolts and Roger Federers on a regular basis. Let’s hope for the best.

Ahmed Hashim