ATIQUE ANAM from Doha

As the World Cup advances towards its climax, there has been a constant exodus of fans from countries which have already been eliminated. The metros are not as busy as they used to be even a couple of days ago, with some heavyweights and fan-favourite teams like Brazil and Portugal biting the dust.

One of the four that have stood the test of skill and character so far are Morocco – the only Arab and African country to reach the semi-finals in the history of the World Cup. The Moroccans have defied all odds, exceeded all expectations and continued to slay giants, one after another.

With the team far exceeding expectations and instilling belief among their fans that they can go all the way, there has been a scramble for flights to Doha from Rabat over the last few days. Some of the Moroccans had been here since the beginning of the World Cup, but a large number of them have descended on this land over the last few days as the Atlas Lions -- whose previous best record was a Round of 16 appearance way back in 1986 -- stunned favourites like Belgium, Spain and Portugal on their way to the final four.

Aliya Abdelkarim, a woman in her thirties from Rabat, was revelling with a group of fans at Downtown Doha after watching her team beat Portugal at the Al Thumama Stadium a couple of hours earlier. There were a few hundred Moroccan fans who gathered there, many wearing shirts with the names of Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou and others on the back, some draped in the Moroccan flag.

“Exceptionally proud and happy. It’s an exceptional and historic moment, not only for Morocco but for the Arab region and Africa. It’s such an honour representing all of these countries in this World Cup,” Aliya said when asked about her feelings.