Migrant workers aim to stay in Qatar far beyond World Cup final

DOHA : Senegal's loss to England on Sunday saw Africa's hopes of lifting the trophy in Qatar recede even further but the migrant workers watching the game at a specially-built fan zone were still hoping for the biggest prize of all - work beyond the World Cup.

Senegal's 3-0 defeat at the Al Bayt Stadium means Morocco are the continent's only sporting representatives remaining in the tournament but in Asian Town, about 60km away, some African fans were already looking beyond the final.

"The ones who came just for the World Cup will definitely go back after the World Cup, but I still have my future here because I still have work to do," Ugandan Wambaka Isaac told Reuters.

"We'll go doing cleaning work, offices, everywhere (there's) a lot of work, and of course the building keeps on going," he added.

Proudly wearing the shirt of his national team, Isaac was one of thousands of migrant workers who made their way to the fan zone after sundown to watch Sunday's last-16 tie between France and Poland before England and Senegal took centre stage.

Qatar has come in for intense criticism from human rights groups about the treatment of its migrant workers, who together with other foreigners make up a majority of the population.

"It's complicated," said a young traffic marshal from Kenya, who declined to give his name, when asked whether or not he would be able to stay on after the final.

"I worked in construction on the Lusail Stadium, the Al Thumama (stadium). I worked for a contractor, so you go wherever they send you. We're marshals today, next week we might be in construction again," he explained.

"We worked in the summer when it was very hot, long days, very hot. I was very tired all the time."

NO WORK AT HOME

For Rahim, a ride-share