Addis Ababa, November 17, 2022 (FBC) – The Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Sports expressed its best wishes to the African national teams participating in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
32 countries across the planet will go head to head in the 22nd edition of men’s FIFA World Cup 2022, to be hosted by Qatar. The battle for the most coveted football prize is scheduled to be opened on Sunday, November 20, 2022.
The African continent is going to be represented by Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco and Ghana national teams.
Ethiopia, hence, the founding member of the African Union (AU) and the African Football Federation (CAF), expressed its best wishes to the national teams representing Africa in the tournament to register the best possible results.
Minister of Culture and Sports, Kejela Merdasa, who attended the ceremony and extended his best wishes, said: “Football as a general sport is a symbol of peace, love and unity. Participating in this competition is an honour in itself. Therefore, we wish the best of luck to all the five national football teams representing Africa at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”
The Minister also expressed his best wishes to the hosting nation, Qatar.
“I am fully hopeful that our country, Ethiopia, will be one of the participating countries in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We will do everything we can to realize our dreams of participating on this stage,” he said.
Mesfin Chernet, Minister of State for Sports, delivered a message to the guests of honour at the event: “In the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, our continent, Africa, is set to be represented by the national teams of five countries. As our country Ethiopia is the founder of the African Football Federation and the basis of its development, we wish Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco and Cameroon a successful competition. We also wish best of lucks to the host nation, Qatar, a successful tournament.”
Senior officials from the African Union, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Ethiopian Football Federation, the Ethiopian Premier League Share Company, the ambassadors of those five African countries and Qatar were all present at the best wishes statement.
Through the African Book of Records, prepared by the leather experts of Ethiopia, with the flags of the 32 participating countries of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a hand painting of Africa’s biggest football player and the King (Emir) of Qatar was presented as a gift to the Qatari ambassador.