Moroccan Fans in Russia 2018 World Cup Exceed 42,000 – FIFA

Moroccan fans attending their country’s opening game against Iran in Russia 2018 World Cup were the second largest group with 42,000 cheering at a St Petersburg stadium, FIFA said.

Only Russians outnumbered Moroccans with their 62,548 supporters in the game that saw the hosts trash Saudi Arabia 5-0.

Over 10,000 made the trip from Morocco to Russia with the rest of fans coming from the over 5 million Moroccan community living abroad.

The next game against Portugal in Moscow on Wednesday is expected to attract more Moroccan supporters.

In their first game, Substitute Bouhaddouz offered Iran an undeserved win with an unfortunate header while trying to clear the ball from the gates of the goal.

The Atlas Lions monopolized the ball and played an offensive and enterprising game but couldn’t break through the Iranian defense to score a goal of relief.

Morocco made its way through the qualifications for the World Cup without conceding a single goal. The return of the Atlas Lions to the World stages comes after twenty years of absence following a heartbreaking elimination from the group stage at France’98.

Morocco’s team has built its game on solid defense and hard work. The experience of Karim El Ahmadi, M’barek Boussoufa and Juventus’s Mehdi Benatia fits well with the intelligence of Hakim Ziyech and the strength of Nordin Amrabat.