Morocco surprised by Qatar's decision not to vote for Morocco
Morocco-Qatar, Sports, 6/1/2000

Moroccan youth and sports minister, Ahmed Moussaoui, said Qatar's decision not to vote for the Moroccan candidacy to host the 2006 world soccer cup finals is "surprising."

The Minister told the Moroccan 2nd TV channel "2M" explained that Morocco's to bid for the planetary event is not a "unilateral" one but it is a candidacy enjoying the unanimity of all Arab sports bodies and of the Arab League. Moussaoui recalled, in this regard, that the Arab sports and youth ministers, held one year ago in Amman, had decided to support the Moroccan candidacy and all Arab sports meeting backed Morocco's candidacy as the candidacy of all Arab countries.

Furthermore, the executive bureau of the Arab youth and sports ministers had also expressed in an extraordinary session held in Rabat last November, Arab unanimity over the bid. The Minister went on that as soon as Morocco heard that Qatar will not vote for Morocco in the FIFA executive council next July, it contacted Arab sports and youth ministers and it is expecting a hopefully unsurprising answer.

Although Qatar has one vote, it can be decisive if competition becomes harsh in the final stages. But the decision might have an effect on Arab sports and football federations and on Arab unanimity, at large, said the official.

Meanwhile, Driss Benhiman, acting chairman of the Moroccan committee in charge of the candidacy, said the Qatari decision will be extremely disadvantageous to Morocco. Benhima, who toured several European countries, said apart from Germany and Britain, two other candidates, all European countries will vote for Morocco.

On Tuesday, Qatari reliable sources told MAP Qatar will not vote for Morocco in the race to host the 2006 world soccer cup. Qatar's representative and member of the FIFA executive council, Mohamed Ben Hammam, will give his country's vote to the German candidacy. In addition to Morocco and Germany, three other countries are competing for the honor to host the football finals, namely South Africa, Brazil and Britain.

The executive committee of the Arab football union had appointed -at a meeting in Cairo last October--the Qatari representative, Mohamed Ben Hammam, chairman of the Arab committee supporting Morocco's candidacy.

Previous Stories:
  Qatar denies morocco vote for world football 2006 cup   (5/30/2000)
  Benaissa meets visiting Qatari state minister   (5/10/2000)
  King Mohammed gets Qatari invitation for Doha OIC summit   (5/9/2000)

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