Sao Paulo: Qatar’s Minister of Youth and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanim bin Nasser Al Ali has congratulated the government of Brazil and its people on the occasion of the 20th edition of the Fifa World Cup.
The opening ceremony was held on Thursday at the Arena Corinthians stadium in the city of Sao Paulo.
H E Al Ali, who attended the opening ceremony of the Fifa World Cup, offered congratulations to the Brazilian Minister of Youth and Sports and to the World Cup 2014 local organising committee, referring to
the efforts that have been made since Brazil won the honour
of hosting the tournament in 2007.
The minister praised the opening ceremony, which introduced the world to the culture and civilization of the Brazilian people. “This country has great passion for football and is capable of providing an ideal championship,” H E Al Ali said.
On the sidelines of the opening, the minister met his Algerian counterpart, Mohamed Tahmi, and wished the Algerian team success. Algeria is the only representative of the Arabs in the tournament. H E Al-Ali hoped that its stars would give a performance reflecting the evolution of football in the Arab world and live up to the expectations of the Arab masses who are supporting them.
Algeria is in Group H along with Belgium, Russia and South Korea. AGENCIES
