Inside a fan zone for migrant workers: ‘Our World Cup too, our stadium too’
ON THE giant screen erected on a platform at the practice nets of the Qatar Cricket Stadium, Senegal’s Kalidou Koulibaly scores off a free-kick to take his team to the last-16 of the football World Cup. Below the screen, Samuel and his friends burst into an impromptu dance. They are soon joined by the other Senegalese among the 1,000-odd spectators, most of them on the grassless grassbank or scattered in the gallery and on the wooden planks.
As the celebrations fade, Samuel clutches a rosary, praying the next 20 minutes pass without Ecuador equalising. When the final whistle blows, Samuel draws a cross in the air and quickly calls a friend to arrange for a party. “One of the happiest days in my life. I was a kid when Senegal last qualified for the pre-quarters (in 2002),” he says, beam...