Saudi football fans in Doha join Morocco World Cup celebrations

DOHA: Saudis on Tuesday joined Moroccan football fans celebrating in Doha the north Africans becoming the first Arab team to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

Visitors to the Saudi House area, located on the Qatari capital’s corniche, watched on a giant screen Morocco’s dramatic 3-0 penalty shootout win over Spain in the round of 16 match.

The Saudi House pavilion, set up for the duration of the tournament to showcase the Kingdom’s rich culture and footballing history, was a sea of Saudi and Moroccan flags as fans from around the world witnessed the Atlas Lions’ victory.

Saudi fan, Mohammed Al-Hamid, described the result as marking an historic day in sport for Arabs in general and Moroccans in particular.

He added that many Saudis had backed Arab teams competing in the World Cup either by attending matches or watching games on giant screens.

Moroccan fan Nader bin Saeed, said: “We, the Moroccans, are proud of the Saudi public’s support for us in the final qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup.

“Here, in the Saudi House, we feel that we are one people united by many customs and traditions, and we have many citizens who work in Saudi Arabia, as well as our Moroccan professionals who play in the Saudi league.”