They laughed at Cristiano Ronaldo's statements

With "ults and tears".. Moroccan fans in the Emirates celebrate the historic victory

• Great joy for Morocco's qualification.

  Photography: Osama Abu Ghanem and Patrick Castillo

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With shouts of joy, ululation and tears, the Moroccan fans in the UAE celebrated the qualification of the "Atlas Lions" for the first time to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup (Qatar 2022), after yesterday's victory over its Portuguese counterpart with a goal without a response.

After the final whistle blew, cries of joy and ululation arose, and Moroccan and Arab fans gathered in front of cafes in various cities in the Emirates to celebrate this historic achievement.

According to what the owner of Alhan Cafe in Ajman, Ibrahim Mohamed, told Emirates Today, "Large numbers of fans have poured in, many of whom may come to cafes for the first time to watch the matches of the Moroccan national team," indicating that the Moroccan audience in particular and the Arabs in general, their presence was distinguished In the World Cup, pointing out that most cafes competed to provide the best service to the audience who came to them, whether by purchasing large screens or the service and offers they provide to their customers on drinks, as well as technical paragraphs after the matches.

For her part, said the Moroccan cheerleader Shaima Boukyoud

“My passion for the World Cup and the Moroccan national team increased after I found that many of my friends frequented sports stores to buy Atlas Lions shirts and arranged for the place where they would watch the matches. I joined them and today I stand at the forefront of the ranks that love football and the Moroccan national team in particular.”

The passion for the match was increased by the statements made by Portugal's captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, before the match, in which he confirmed that the Moroccan national team would take its plane back to its country on Saturday, in reference to his country's victory in the match.

The Moroccan fan, Marawan Rawahi, said: “I do not see that Ronaldo's statements were appropriate, betrayed by expression, and it seems that his statements stem from angry feelings because he is no longer the first player in the Portuguese national team. He tried to win by talking, but we won by playing.”

In turn, Somaya Bahaj, a Moroccan fan, said, "We were millions of Moroccans behind the national team. This team expresses the spirit and unity of its entire nation."

Full attendance

Dubai witnessed a full attendance in cafes and fan areas, and many places allowed the entry of more than the permitted number due to the high demand in the places that broadcast the match live.

Thomas Shelter, General Manager of InterContinental Hotels Dubai Festival City, said: “The outdoor football fan area in the hotel and in front of the giant screen reflects our keenness to provide a quality experience for our guests. We watched the Moroccan and Arab fans cheering and singing for their national team and interacting with every attack in an amazing atmosphere.”

He added, "We prepared a set of interactive activities and asked technical questions to the audience at halftime, which was well received by the audience and added an atmosphere of fun, young and old. We even noticed the interest of the female component in the match, despite the lack of experience of some in technical events."

He continued, "Football revolves around bringing people and peoples of different nationalities and cultures together, and we presented during the World Cup the best place to make this possible, along with many qualitative experiences."

To view an electronic supplement .. the World Cup teams, 

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