Rugby fans from all over the world will soon descend on France for the 10th Rugby World Cup.
25.08.2023 - 14:43 / skift.com / Royal Air Maroc
Hundreds of Moroccan soccer fans desperate to reach Qatar to watch their team become the first from an Arab or African country play in a World Cup semi-final were left stranded on Wednesday as Morocco’s airline scrapped several extra flights.
The cancellations, which Royal Air Maroc (RAM) blamed on the Qatari authorities, left travellers downcast but did not dampen a party mood in the North African country before Wednesday’s match against France, Morocco’s former coloniser and now home to many Moroccan players.
Morocco’s success so far has been cheered in bars or cafes from Baghdad to Bamako as fans have celebrated its victories against top ranked European teams, such as Spain and Portugal, in the first World Cup hosted by an Arab country.
Thousands of Moroccans have already travelled to Qatar and hundreds more had raced to buy tickets at the last minute, with RAM promising more tickets on 30 extra flights. But a source at a RAM travel agency said only 14 flights had been scheduled.
“Following the latest restrictions imposed by the Qatari authorities, Royal Air Maroc regrets to inform customers of the cancellation of their flights operated by Qatar Airways,” the airline said in an emailed statement.
The Qatari government’s international media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Youssef Chippo, a Moroccan former national team player working in Qatar as a commentator for BeIn sports channel, said the flight cancellations were linked to the arrival of many fans in Doha without match tickets.
Moroccan fans have at times scuffled with police in previous knockout games in Qatar, a wealthy but tiny nation, as thousands of people arrived at stadiums without tickets and tried to enter.
At Doha airport, fans arriving overnight from Casablanca said they expected to receive tickets on arrival based on what they had read on social media and in the Moroccan press. But they said had not been given any.
“Ninety-five percent of people on the plane didn’t have a ticket,” said Mohammed, a Moroccan fan outside Al Janoub stadium in Qatar where the match will be held, waiting with his wife and three children in the hope of receiving more information.
In Morocco, the nation was in jubilant mood long before kick off. Flags fluttered from homes and buildings in an outpouring of national pride. School children in the capital Rabat chanted soccer anthems.
“Morocco winning would mean much for Muslims around the world,” Mohamed Zulfadhli Abd Rahman, a citizen of Brunei who was shopping for a Morocco football shirt in Rabat, said.
Pride in the success of an African team has been felt far beyond Morocco’s borders.
No Arab country had previously progressed to the quarter final stage. No African country had
Rugby fans from all over the world will soon descend on France for the 10th Rugby World Cup.
Thousands of fans traveling to France this month for the Rugby World Cup may be waylaid by plans for several strikes during the tournament, which starts this weekend.
Sports fans could face travel chaos next week as French airport staff threaten strikes during the Rugby World Cup.
Hurricane Idalia has yet to make landfall, but the storm is already creating headaches for air travelers.
Passengers have been left stranded at airports across Europe after the UK's air traffic control experienced technical difficulties on Monday.
The conclusion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 highlights the growing and collective legacy of Qatar Airways and FIFA.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India and has a huge fan base. Beyond just being a sport, it is deeply embedded in the nation’s culture, evoking intense emotions from the masses over the victories and losses of their favorite teams: 90% of the global cricket fandom consists of Indians, highlighting the cricket craze in the country.
With the Rugby World Cup taking place in France this September, rugby fans from across the world are descending on the land of Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité for the biggest event in rugby. Each of the 20 teams participating in the world cup has chosen a basecamp at a different location across France. For the UK and Ireland, Scotland is based in Nice, Wales in Versailles, Ireland in Tours, and England in the glamorous coastal resort of Le Touquet.
Balloons in the national colours of Israel and Qatar festooned the departure gate for the first commercial flight between the countries on Sunday, permitted by Doha for fans of the World Cup despite the absence of formal bilateral relations.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, November 23. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Iconic World Cup stadiums have long lived in the memory of those who played in and attend the tournament, often standing as a beacon in the backdrop of the host city, but Stadium 974 which held seven games in Doha will soon cease to exist.
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 starts in five days, and Qatar is struggling to have enough lodging to house an expected 1.2 million football fans.