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The Al Egla training site in Lusail City, has become a bustling hive of activity in recent years. It is the home of Lusail Sports Club and hosts football training for young girls and boys from the city and beyond every week. With its location close to Lusail Stadium – which will host the Lusail Super Cup on Friday 9 September and the FIFA World Cup final on Qatar National Day – Al Egla is a prime example of Qatar’s tournament legacy. As well as hosting the Korea Republic and Tunisia during the FIFA World Cup, which will be held from 21 November to 18 December, it also provides a vital community facility for the ever-growing city of Lusail.Lusail SC has a senior team which currently competes in the Qatargas League – the tier below the top-flight Qatar Stars League – along with youth teams for players aged 3-23.Nawaf Al Mudahka, President of Lusail SC, said community spirit runs through the club’s DNA.“This is a community space – not just a sports club,” said Al Mudahka. “These world-class facilities are for the residents of Lusail. They bring people together from different cultures and nationalities to train here. The players start from a very young age and can go all the way through to the first team.”Ciaran Kelly, Lusail SC’s Technical Director, explained how the club had thrived thanks to its link-up with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) – the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure and legacy for Qatar 2022.“Through a partnership with the SC, we were able to use the facilities here at Al Egla. We currently have 600 players in the academy, with some as young as three,” said Kelly. “We are so fortunate to use Al Egla – which gives the entire Lusail community access to a World Cup training site.”The young players who train at Al Egla every week are in awe of the facilities.“It’s crazy to think there will be famous players playing on this exact pitch. I can’t believe that Neymar or Messi will be training here,” said Jada Alami, who plays for the girls’ U16s team.Sanjar Ovezob, from the boys’ U17s team, said: “The pitch is perfect – playing here is comfortable and easy. It’s one of the best facilities I’ve played at.”Al Egla and more than 30 other training sites will form the backbone of Qatar’s compact tournament plans. For the first time in modern history, players will stay and train in the same place throughout the FIFA World Cup, meaning more time for rest and recuperation. Fans will also benefit from the compact nature of the event by having the chance to attend more than one match a day during the early stages of the tournament. (SC)
