The Peninsula
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2021 Turkish Super Cup has revealed the final preparations for hosting the match, which will be played tomorrow at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, between Besiktas, the champions of the Spor Toto Süper Lig and the Turkish Cup, and Fraport TAV Antalysapor, runner-up of the Turkish Cup last season.
The Turkish Super Cup is being held in Qatar for the first time, after all the earlier editions were played in Turkey and Germany.
The much-awaited match is set to kick off at 20:45 (Doha and Ankara), which corresponds to 17:45 GMT.
The LOC confirmed Qatar’s readiness to host the major event, both in terms of organisation and healthcare protocol, through the measures taken in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The match will be held amid strict protocol procedures, with a system similar to the bio-bubble applied to all participants in the tournament, including players, officials and organisers.
The LOC has agreed with the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), to set the percentage of spectator attendance at the game to a maximum of 25% of the capacity of Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
In terms of security and safety measures at the stadiums and associated facilities for the game, a mock drill process was implemented, with the aim of ensuring the increased level of readiness to face any emergency situation, and educating the stadium staff and private security personnel on effective evacuation procedures.
All of these procedures and measures help ensure that the game is organised in the ideal way at all levels.
Besiktas, who is currently ranked seventh in the Turkish league this season, holds nine Turkish Super Cup titles, the last of which was in the 2006 season.
On the other hand, Antalyaspor have never won the title, and are ranked fifteenth in the league.
The Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium’s hosting of the Turkish Super Cup comes after it also witnessed Egyptian side Al Ahly’s victory over Morocco’s Raja at the African Super Cup game on December 22.
This upcoming game adds to Qatar’s stature as the sports capital of the Middle East – as the country continues to host important and major sporting events, tournaments and football matches, in the stadiums and facilities of the 2022 World Cup.