When you first arrive at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, where the All Whites will face their destiny next Wednesday against Costa Rica, a few things are immediately striking.
There's the wonderful design and the sheer size of the structure, but also the incongruity of thevista, a massive amphitheatre plonked in the middle of nowhere.
The stadium is located on the outskirts of Doha, around 20 kilometres west of the central city. It's a comfortable 40-minute ride on the brand new underground system, some of which didn't exist until a year or so ago.
The subway is spotless and efficient, even with a first class carriage, which is mainly used by Qatari nationals. After arriving at the final stop, you walk across a huge bare concrete expanse (which may be turned into a fan zone, according to rumours). It was testing – in nearly 40 degrees at 5:45pm local time – though at least not particularly humid.
The Adman Bin Ali stadium (capacity 50,000), which was finished in December 2020, is a spectacular facility, though it is hard not to wonder about the price paid by so many migrant workers.
Inside it's a brilliant design, with steep banked grandstands meaning every seat has a decent vantage point. There are some clever touches, with an outline of a lion pattern carved into two of the grandstands through different coloured seats. The field is a carpet, immaculate and springy aside from an area at one end where the sand is beginning to come through.
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Photo / Michael Burgess
The temperature at pitch level is set at 19 degrees, and walking around the areas closest to the grass could actually be quite chilly. The field was constantly cool but the air conditioning seemed to kick in for the rest of the arena around an hour before the 9pm kick-off between Australia and United Arab Emirates. Spectators in the front rows felt the ambient temperature drop instantly, though it was less evident high up in the media tribune.
One of the most impressive features of the space age design is the acoustics. It was a modest crowd, but the noise generated by a few thousand UAE supporters clustered together reverberated around the arena, creating a brilliant atmosphere. The Socceroo's fans – resplendent in their canary yellow "Aussies in Qatar" t-shirts were more scattered but still vocal with their chants.
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Photo / Michael Burgess
There are giant television screens at either end of the field, suspended off the roof, which means access to replays wherever you might be sitting. The UAE fans, some of whom had had their tickets and flights paid for by state sponsored companies or wealthy benefactors, were impressive throughout, only losing voice in the final minutes of the 2-1 defeat.
Exiting the stadium wasn't straightforward. At midnight, only about an hour or so after the final whistle there were no taxis to be found, while Uber drivers were reluctant to come out so far for a small fare. It's a situation that will surely be different for the Fifa World Cup proper, but again shows the problem of constructing such a facility completely out of proportion to its surroundings.
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Photo / Michael Burgess
Our group (which included journalists from UAE, Saudi Arabia and Dubai) made the last train, which left just after 12.30am, with the stroll almost pleasant this time in 31 degree heat, before returning to the skyscraper laden downtown area. The visit confirmed there should be a wonderful atmosphere for the match next week, regardless of the overall attendance.
