Qatar's Asian Cup win could cause more strife with its neighbors in the Gulf. GETTY IMAGES
Qatar's "remarkable" Asian Cup victory may have been a "sporting triumph which sparked wild celebrations in Doha but it is almost certain to come at a political price," analysts say, according to the AFP. The win -- in the "hostile" capital of the UAE, one of its opponents in a "bitter" regional dispute -- is expected to lead to "further animosity between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc of rival nations." Rice University research fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen said, "Any sense of embitterment in Abu Dhabi at the way the tournament they hosted turned out may translate into an escalation of rhetoric against Qatar. The response to Qatar's run in the Asian Cup has, if anything, deepened the split within the Gulf." Qatar's first Asian Cup win is an "astonishing story on numerous levels" -- a "modern-day sporting parable, soaked in geopolitics and symbolism." It is a "powerful Qatari riposte" to critics who have ridiculed the 2022 World Cup host for its "lack of footballing prowess." It is a vidication of the wealthy Gulf state's "huge spending" to develop talent at its Aspire Academy (AFP, 2/8).
