Algeria: President attends opening World Cup match

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is expected to attend the official opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which commences on Sunday in Qatar.

Informed sources have confirmed to the German Press Agency (DPA) that the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani has sent an official invitation to Tebboune to attend the opening ceremony and the first World Cup match between Qatar and Ecuador.

Algerian-Qatari relations have witnessed a remarkable recovery and unprecedented development, where the emir of Qatar attended the opening ceremony of the 19th version of the Mediterranean Games organised in the Algerian city of Oran last summer. He also attended the Arab League Summit held early this month in the Algerian capital, while the Algerian President visited Qatar last February.

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President Tebboune has denounced the suspicious campaigns targeting the State of Qatar prior to the start of the World Cup. He has emphasised Algeria’s permanent and full support for Qatar in this tournament and is standing by it to defeat these campaigns and their promoters.

“This global tournament organised by Qatar will remain engraved in the history of football,” asserted Tebboune in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) at the end of last month.

“Qatar will surprise the world with the high-level organisation in all fields,” Tebboune added.

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