World Cup fever grips Jordanians

AMMAN –– The World Cup fever is gripping the Kingdom as football fans are gearing up for the four-week-long contest and café owners bedecked their shops with the flags of the participating teams in preparation for the contest.

Several football experts and fans interviewed by The Jordan Times said although there are other important football competitions, the quadrennial tournament has its own special flavour, usually bringing together people to watch matches and enjoy their atmosphere.

The excitement about the competition has been obvious in Amman since the beginning of this week.

Café owners put up the flags of the participating teams and photos of leading football figures that will take part in the World Cup, and many renewed or purchased electronic devices giving them access to TV channels broadcasting the matches.

The 2014 Brazil World Cup kicks off on Thursday with the Brazil vs. Croatia match, and concludes on July 13.

Some vendors began selling flags and accessories — scarves, bracelets, rings and headdresses with the colours of the teams — either in the streets or by traffic lights.

A number of companies and stores in Amman are taking advantage of the competition to promote their products.

Amjad Majali, head of the sports section at Al Rai Arabic daily, said the World Cup is made even more popular in Jordan and the Arab world by the performance of football legends, past and present, such as Pele, Maradona and Ronaldo.

He added that Arab teams that participate in the competition make many Arabs, including Jordanians, even more excited about watching the matches.

This year, Algeria is part of Group H, alongside Belgium, Russia and the Republic of Korea.

“There is a number of Asian teams that take part in the contest and this makes the contest popular in the Arab world as well,” the football expert added.

Meanwhile, shopkeepers and café owners voiced hope that business will boom during the contest.

Mohammad Ahmad, a café employee in the upscale neighbourhood of Abdoun, said cafés in the area give more importance to the World Cup than to other tournaments, like Euro.

“This is the main contest for most fans in Jordan. Every World Cup, we decorate our café with photos of stadiums and leading players,” he added.

Haitham Yaseen, who has an accessories shop in downtown Amman, said he began displaying flags of the participating team since the beginning of the week.

“The business is still slow, but I think demand will be on the rise during the first days of the contest,” he told The Jordan Times while decorating his shop with team flags on Tuesday.

Several football fans also expressed excitement over the competition.

Firas Manaseer, a father of two in his 30s, said the World Cup is his favourite contest because it includes the best teams from across the world.

“There are several great competitions, like the Euro, but they do not include great teams such as Argentina and Brazil,” he told The Jordan Times.

He noted that the unique atmosphere of the World Cup encourages even people who are not avid football fans to watch the contest.

“You can see even women watch the matches,” he added.

University student Ahmad Eid said the atmosphere during the World Cup is unique.

“Roaming the streets these days one can see many flags outside cafés and people’s houses. No other contest provides such a brilliant atmosphere,” he said with excitement.

Although salesman Anas Khouly could not afford to purchase the new subscription to beIN Sports channel, he will not miss the matches.

“I will try to watch them through the foreign channels. If I will not be able to do so, I will go the nearby café and watch the most important matches,” he added.

beIN Sports, formerly known as Al Jazeera Sports, has the exclusive right to broadcast the matches in the Middle East.

Several Jordanians complained about the prices set by the network; many said they might fail to watch the competition for the first time in their lives because of the high prices of subscription.

Majali, however, doubts that the increased fees will stop Jordanians from watching the contest.

“Football is the most popular game in Jordan, and I doubt that people will miss many matches. It might increase the financial burden on some, particularly those who barely make ends meet,” but will not be an absolute deterrent, he added.

There are two kinds of subscriptions: one stands at JD275, is valid for one-year and includes a beIN Sports set-top-box, the other is a three-month subscription priced at JD185.

The prices are set by beIN Sports, Smadi Electronics Deputy General Manager Shadi Khalil said, adding that “taxes were responsible for the higher cost in the Kingdom compared to other countries in the region”.

Majali said the presence of a great number of cafés in the capital will enable Jordanians to watch the contest.

Mahmoud Khalaileh, salesman at a clearance house and a big fan of Italy, said he subscribed to beIN Sports despite the high fee.

“It is the most important contest and I have to watch it,” he said.