FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed his attendance for the first two days of the 2017 Gulf Cup to be held in Kuwait later this month.
Infantino, who was in the region following the re-entry of Kuwait as a member of the world governing body, has released a statement on the official Fifa website confirming his decision to attend matches on December 22 and 23.
“The solidarity and friendship shown by all illustrates once again the power of football to unite people across borders. The 2017 Gulf Cup will be a great celebration of football in the whole region and to have all eight teams participating in Kuwait sends a very powerful message to the world,” Infantino said.
“To mark this special occasion, it will be a great honour for me to attend the opening games of the 2017 Gulf Cup in Kuwait on December 22 and 23. This tournament embraces the spirit of sportsmanship and is a great example of the values that Fifa and football strive to spread all around the world,” he added.
The ban, imposed in 2015 reportedly due to government interference in the work of football association, was lifted from the Gulf nation following a surprise visit from Infantino earlier this week. The two-year exile from football had prevented Kuwaiti clubs from playing in the continental AFC Cup and the national team from participating in the qualifiers for the 2018 Fifa World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup to be held in the UAE.
“I am very happy and encouraged by the recent developments in the Gulf region. First of all, it is a great pleasure to welcome Kuwaiti football back into the international football community. During my visit to Kuwait earlier this week, I witnessed with my own eyes the delight of all Kuwaiti players and fans to be back – finally. It has been a long and tough period of suffering for them over the past two years,” Infantino noted.
“The initiative to move the 2017 Gulf Cup from Qatar to Kuwait to celebrate this event is a strong and symbolic sign. In this respect, I would like to congratulate and thank the Qatari football authorities for their honourable gesture, which was not unexpected as it is in line with Qatar's commitment as the host country of the 2022 FIFA World Cup that this World Cup is indeed for the entire region,” he added.
By Alaric Gomes
