Back to the Soccer Newsfeed

Four Years From Its Big Party, Qatar Remains a Soccer Work in Progress

Qatar forward Akram Afif, far left, in a win over Switzerland last week. Fabrice Coffrini/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

EUPEN, Belgium — The chant started midway through the first half, emanating from a corner of the Kehrweg Stadium where a few dozen preteens, each of them wearing a thick down jacket amid the falling snow, were gathered.

Their coats identified the children as members of the youth system of the local club, K.A.S. Eupen. The team’s crest was emblazoned on the chest of each coat. On the back was another badge, another name: Aspire, the organization that owns and runs Eupen.