DOHA/Rabat: Moroccan fans celebrated on Thursday as their country became the only Arab nation to reach the knockout round of the first World Cup hosted in the Arab country, sparking dancing and cheer in the stadiums in Qatar and in the streets back home.
Morocco beat Canada 2-1 in front of a packed stadium to top the group. In earlier matches they had drawn with Croatia and pulled off a surprise win over Belgium, the world’s second-ranked team.
“This team can go all the way in this World Cup!” A young woman draped in a Moroccan flag leaned against the window of a packed car in Rabat, shouted as people ran towards the central district to celebrate in the street.
In Qatar, where the home team has already been knocked out along with Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, Morocco now chants for an Arab world that has cheered victories by Arab teams against some tournament favourites.
A Reuters reporter said hundreds of fans had gathered outside the stadium, some pushing and shoving and others trying to climb over fences to get inside even after the start of the game. Many did not have tickets but hoped to watch the game.
“There was a crowd of fans here because they could not enter the stadium. Almost all these fans have no tickets and they love Morocco and want to get in,” said Abdulmajid Mohammed, a Saudi Arabian.
The crowd also left some fans who said they had tickets unable to enter. “We have tickets but they have closed all the doors and are not letting people in,” said Mohamed Abdelhadi from Libya, who said each ticket in his group cost more than $200.
FIFA and Qatar’s Supreme Committee for World Cup organisers, Delivery and Legacy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the crowds outside the stadium.
Bahra has been the 12th player for the support side.
“They proved on the pitch that they are lions… honestly as Saudis we lost yesterday but we made up for that loss with a win over Morocco,” said Talal Ahmed Obaid overlooking a fan zone in Casablanca. Gave.”
While Morocco is a proud member of the Arab League, the country has also embraced its African identity and Berber ancestry in recent decades, establishing Amazigh as an official language.
“We hope to raise the flag of African football,” Moroccan coach Walid Regargui said on Wednesday.
Mohamed Tahiri, a lawyer who celebrated in Rabat amid a crowd waving flags and honking car horns despite the rainy weather, said Morocco was the only team left for Arabs to identify with.
“It is a day of celebration not only for Moroccans but also for all Arabs and all Amazigh North Africans,” he said.
Hours before kickoff, people started looking for cafes with TVs.
“My generation is experiencing this for the first time,” said Ofe Abider, 38, an employee of the company. She was a child when Morocco last reached the knockout stage in 1986. Morocco’s last World Cup four years earlier ended in the group stage.
Back in Doha, Omani national Saeed Al Maskari, 30, said he would now support Morocco. “We are in the Asian part (of the Arab region) and they are in the African part. But we speak the same language,” he said.