At the launch of Astro’s Quest for the World Cup campaign are (from second left) Schwarzer, Smith and Cocu with a replica of the trophy.
FANS have been enjoying a great treat since the start of the English Premier League, with loads of top-quality football and intriguing twists to some of the results – those of the big boys included.
For the neutrals, they were not left out and certainly won’t be towards the end of the year when the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar.
With a view to whetting the appetite, Astro invited former internationals Mark Schwarzer of Australia and Phillip Cocu of the Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur to meet local football media representatives and share their views on what this year’s World Cup may have on offer.
They were hosted by Euan Smith, Astro’s group chief operating officer and chief executive officer TV.
The two stars, who have also served as pundits this week on Astro’s regular television football broadcasts, had similar views on who could end up winning the tournament which starts on Nov 20 and ends on Dec 18.
Schwarzer said there are about 10 teams out of the 32 that will be in Qatar that stand a decent chance of going all the way and lifting the trophy.
With a soft spot for Germany, his parents’ home country, he said they might do it again, given their long and distinguished history in the tournament.
The Germans are four-time champions of the World Cup and most recently won it in Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
Schwarzer, 49, widely regarded as one of the Premiership’s all-time best goalkeepers and capped 109 times by Australia, did not give his homeland Socceroos any chance of glory in Qatar – and understandably so.
Cocu, 51, said the Dutch were one of those teams that had a chance of making it in Qatar, but only if they get their act together and work as a cohesive unit – all pulling in the same direction, as all winners do.
He said he wouldn’t single out any of the young and promising players in the Dutch set-up, but added that he expected a couple of them at least, to make their presence felt in the Middle East.
Cocu is perhaps best known for his time at Barcelona, where he was part of the side that won La Liga in 1999 and played in two Champions League semi-finals. He later went to manage the club.
He drew laughter when he mentioned his missed penalty in the semi-finals against Brazil in 1998, without even being reminded to do so.
He also spoke proudly of his time in the Netherlands set-up, where he featured in two World Cups (1998 and 2006) and four European Championships (1996, 2000 and 2004).
And like Schwarzer, Cocu said he thought Argentine Lionel Messi would have a better World Cup than Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking at the launch, Smith said they were “thrilled to announce a special Astro Sports Pack ahead of the World Cup, which will offer a premium and comprehensive Qatar 2022 viewing experience”.
He added that “Only Astro Sports Pack customers would get complimentary access and comprehensive coverage of the World Cup, during which they would be able to watch all the matches live and never miss a moment with the Astro Go app.
“The most exciting group stage games that fans will be able to view exclusively on Astro include the Netherlands against Senegal, England taking on Wales, and South Korea coming up against Ronaldo’s Portugal.
“We will be showing every moment on the pitch at the tournament in 4K UHD with high dynamic range on the ultra box.”
Smith said the package also included a facility that allowed the viewer to “watch the game from the start, even if the match had already begun.
“Just activate the ‘Play from Start’ feature to catch up,” he said, adding that fans could stream the matches live on Astro Go where they can get an instant replay, real-time matches and team statistics during live broadcasts by opening up the interactive mode.
“We are also happy to share that we will be bringing an exciting line-up of football legends to our studio to deliver the best punditry, along with news updates and match highlight programmes.”
He said customers would also get to meet the legends at viewing parties and exclusive meet-and-greet sessions.
They will also take part in a series of weekly roadshows dubbed “Golden Treasure” where vouchers and exclusive FIFA World Cup merchandise will be handed out.
The special Astro Sports Pack is priced at RM59.99 a month for six months. Terms and conditions apply.
