Asian soccer in Qatar

Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony for the 2011 Asian Cup soccer tournament outside Khalifa stadium in Doha January 7, 2011. The flame for the tournament is pictured at bottom.
The 15th edition of the AFC Asian Cup has kicked off with a splendid opening ceremony at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
On Friday, the ceremony started when the flag-bearers, representing the 16 nations participating in the football tourney, performed a choreography, which was accompanied by an amazing light show that had the 40,000 spectators cheering.
Another highlight of the ceremony was the firework display that went off throughout Doha and briefly turned the capital into a haze of smoke.