Morocco fans in Qatar for their team’s World Cup semifinal against France on Wednesday struggled to find tickets as excitement grew at home, even as some were stranded when additional flights to Doha were cancelled.
The success of Morocco, the best World Cup run by a team from Africa or the Arab world, has been cheered from Baghdad to Bamako during the first World Cup hosted by an Arab state, with the team scoring victories over the best European teams Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Thousands of Moroccans have flown into Doha, many from Morocco and others from the diaspora in the Gulf and beyond, helping fill stadiums in the national colors of red and green.
Arab and African supporters have joined their ranks as Morocco prepares to play France, a two-time World Cup winner, Morocco’s former colonizer and home to many Moroccans.
Fans arrived at the Al Bayt stadium in al-Khor hours before the game to find a large security presence, including mounted police, and metal cordons well in advance of the first formal ticket checks to detain people without tickets who They were trying to get in.
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In other matches in Morocco, fans without tickets crowded outside the stadium, sometimes blocking the entrance of others and sparking fights with police and other fans.
Almost all of the first fans in the stadium were wearing the Moroccan colours, with only a few wearing French blue scarves. Some also wore Palestinian scarves and waved Palestinian flags, while others held the flags of Morocco’s neighbor Algeria.
“Everyone in the Arab world is supporting them wholeheartedly and with prayers. God willing, we will win,” said Othman Abu Mizan, a Morocco supporter near the stadium.
Moroccans who arrived overnight on additional flights said they expected to get tickets upon arrival, but many were disappointed.
“Ninety-five percent of the people on the plane did not have a ticket,” said Mohammed, who had been waiting for the tickets with his wife and three children.
Mohammed Amzil, 30, and Mehdi Gandouze, 25, both Moroccans living in Doha, queued all night at a stadium where free tickets were handed out.
“We spent the night here and the end of the day and got nothing,” Amzil said, adding that he had seen sporadic fights between some of those waiting to no avail.
Authorities set up a large screen outside the police cordon at the stadium and directed fans without tickets to watch the game there.
Other fans stayed in Morocco after Royal Air Maroc said overnight that seven flights had been cancelled, half of the additional flights expected to fly. He blamed restrictions by the Qatari authorities for the cancellations.
Qatar’s international media office did not respond to requests for comment.
Youssef Chippo, a former player for the Moroccan national team and a commentator for the BeIn sports channel in Qatar, said the cancellations were related to the arrival of many fans without tickets for the matches.
JUBILANT STATE OF MOOD
In Morocco, the emotion was growing before kick-off. Flags were flown from houses and buildings in an outpouring of national pride. Rabat schoolchildren sang soccer hymns.
In France, Tarek Idrissi, 31, a national of Morocco and France, was preparing to watch the game at his father’s house outside Paris.
“Football is born from the heart and guts and I am 200 percent behind Morocco,” he said, vowing to join other Moroccan fans celebrating on the Champs-Elysees in Paris if Morocco wins.
French President Emmanuel Macron walked through a crowded Souq Waqif, a tourist area of Doha, about 90 minutes before he was due to attend the match, waving to passersby.
He had dismissed suggestions that he should boycott the World Cup after Qatar faced intense criticism from human rights groups for its treatment of migrant workers behind preparation work in the small Gulf state.
Until now, no Arab country had reached the quarterfinals and no African country had reached a semifinal.
“I feel so excited that Morocco is still in the race to win the World Cup. It will be a privilege for Africa,” said Aureline Meli, 24, an assistant director in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.
After beating Portugal on Saturday, congratulations poured in from African and Arab presidents, prime ministers and sports greats.
In Rabat, billboards with images of individual players or the entire team were plastered, now hot property for advertisers from everything from banks to telecommunications companies. In the old city, street vendors carried loads of souvenirs for sale.
Cafes in Rabat removed tables to accommodate more seats to watch the game. A cafe was selling places inside to customers.
“We are playing against the champions. We are anxious but very happy at the same time. Long live Morocco!” Mounia Tazi said, getting out of her car with two friends to go into a cafe.
A bus driver who was supposed to drive 500 km (300 miles) from Rabat to the city of Nador on Wednesday said he would now leave on Thursday.
“I’m delaying my departure until tomorrow so I can enjoy the game,” he said, asking that his name not be published so his employer wouldn’t get angry with him.
