In a new twist of event on Wednesday, Morocco’s national carrier announced that some special flights operated by its Qatari counterpart to Doha had been cancelled for fans seeking to watch the World Cup semi-final.
Quest Times earlier reported Morocco are the first African or Arab national team to reach this stage of a World Cup, beating giants Spain and Portugal on the way, and playing France in Doha on Wednesday night.
Following this, excited supporters of the African giants have booked plane tickets from Casablanca to Doha, and many have already arrived, but without match tickets, which they have told AFP they were supposed to receive via the Moroccan football federation on arrival.
After Morocco qualified for the semi-final, the national carrier decided to organise 30 special flights on Tuesday and Wednesday between Casablanca and Doha.
In a new development, Royal Air Maroc announced the cancellation of the Special World Cup flights “following the latest restrictions imposed by the Qatari authorities, Royal Air Maroc (RAM) regrets to inform clients of the cancellation of their flights operated by Qatar Airways,” RAM said in a statement, without elaborating.
The cancelled flights impact “2,100 passengers,” a separate source, who does not want to be mentioned in print, told AFP, adding that 23 other flights operated by RAM are still planned.
Videos posted on social media on Wednesday showed groups of Moroccan fans blocked by Qatari officials at Doha’s main Hamad International Airport, with supporters purportedly refusing to leave the airport until they received tickets.
“We decided to travel last night after RAM offered (plane) tickets at the symbolic price of 5,500 dirhams ($480),” said Amjad Larbi, 25, who had travelled to Doha without a match ticket.
Anas Kolfa, 31, arrived in Doha on Tuesday and said he was able to collect a sought-after ticket for free from Morocco’s football federation, which he said had bought tickets from FIFA.
But Mourad Louerad, 21, was unable to get a ticket.
“I flew because we were told that tickets were available at Doha airport,” he told AFP.
“We were promised in Morocco that they would be distributed at the airport to people arriving on RAM flights,” he said.
“Afterwards, we were asked to go to the Al Janoub stadium but we found nothing.”