AL KHOR, QATAR - DECEMBER 18: Rais Mbolhi of Algeria lifts the FIFA Arab Cup trophy following ... [+] victory during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021 Final match between Tunisia and Algeria at Al Bayt Stadium on December 18, 2021 in Al Khor, Qatar. In reality, FIFA revived the Arab Cup, last staged in 2012, in an expanded format to hand World Cup organizers Qatar another dry run before the global finals in 2022. The Arab Cup offered a preview and flavor: a compact World Cup embedded in the Middle East’s culture. More than 500,000 tickets were sold for the 32 matches across six stadiums, all World Cup venues, the bulk to Qatari residents, a figure that exceeded all expectations. The Arab Cup was not without problems either.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 19, 2021 22:21 UTC