Moroccans among top 10 buyers of World Cup tickets

Fans of Morocco’s national football team have travelled en masse to Qatar and ranked among top ten buyers of tickets as the national football team prepares for its first game against Croatia on November 23.

This is the sixth participation for Morocco in the FIFA world Cup with the best performance in 1986 when the national squad reached the stage of 16.

The Moroccan squad led by coach Walid Regragui, himself a former international player, will have the support of thousands of Moroccans who bought the tickets, most are from the large Moroccan diaspora.

Many Arab fans are also expected to cheer for Morocco during the World Cup.

In total, Qatar is expecting 1.2 million visitors during the World Cup, more than a third of its population of about 3 million.

Due to limited accommodation in Qatar, thousands of fans are also considering staying in neighboring countries where they will be able to fly in for specific games using daily ‘shuttle flights’.

A million World Cup supporters are expected to visit Dubai, which is only a short flight away from Doha.

The neighboring emirate has designated fan zones at parks, beaches, and the financial district in preparation for the rush, and hotels are promoting special deals.

With most of the 31,000 or so hotel rooms in Qatar occupied by soccer teams, World Cup organizers are offering fans accommodation in apartments, villas, desert tents, and three cruise ships moored in the Doha port.