Qatar 2022: Even in defeat Morocco fans ‘have been fantastic’
Morocco fans had taken over Souq Waqif in Doha earlier in the day.
This is the melting pot of Qatar’s capital city where fans from all the competing nations congregate, though a France shirt was a rare sight on this occasion.
Moroccans had travelled in their numbers and extra flights were laid on for the semi-final by national carrier Royal Air Maroc.
Some were being interviewed by various TV and radio stations from around the world, others sipped on local karak tea.
The waft of flavoured shisha tobacco filled the air as they smoked the afternoon away to settle the nerves.
The Al Bayt stadium could have been mistaken for a home match in Casablanca, the small pocket of French fans behind the goal vastly outnumbered by their counterparts in red shirts waving their red flags.
The sheer volume of noise created by the north African side’s following was cranked up before kick-off when those familiar piercing whistles echoed around the stadium as the France teamsheet was read out.
They were silenced just five minutes into the contest when left-back Hernandez converted, leaving supporters watching on in disbelief at a shocking start – the first time they had been behind at this World Cup.
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The fans roused themselves and continued to sing “Dima Maghreb (forever Morocco)” as they had done throughout the tournament, but Kolo Muani delivered a final blow.
“I’ve loved this,” said former England defender Micah Richards on BBC One. “This is one of my favourite games of the World Cup.
“The crowd is brilliant and the atmosphere has been absolutely electric.”
Former England captain Alan Shearer added: “Morocco can be very, very proud of what they’ve done and achieved, and the effort that they’ve put in, not just today but in the whole tournament.
“Their fans have had a fantastic time and really enjoyed it. Their team have just come short because of their lack of quality in the final third.”
‘We realise we made a great achievement’