Quite a few journalists from Morocco were roaming the streets of Doha yesterday.
Some of them are sports journalists, who came to cover the World Cup.
Most of them are journalists from other fields, who came to cover the biggest sensation of the 2022 World Cup.
The Moroccan journalists were looking for two things: their fans, and fans of France.
The first ones were easy to find.
They are in every corner, and it doesn't matter if they are Asli Moroccans, Muslims from Qatar or the surrounding area, or just sensationalists.
The two were much harder to find;
Even in the quarter-finals against England, there were not many French fans in the stands, and it can be assumed that this will also be the case tonight - El Beit Stadium will be all red.
The Moroccan team is only supported by the Arabs.
Morocco, photo: AFP
The madness surrounding the Moroccan national team is expressed in everything.
Their merchandise sales are at a peak, and every third person in the market is walking around in one or another variation - shirt, hat, bodysuit - of the Moroccan flag.
The other two, for those wondering, are divided between Argentina, whose fans are also present here in large numbers, and the rest.
Until yesterday, there was perfect bonding between the Argentinians and the Moroccans around the desire for France to lose and fly away, but now everything is expected to change.
In recent days, the sports media highlighted the fact that Morocco is the first Arab team and the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
This is factually true, but in terms of sympathy she only gets the support of the Arabs.
The black continent does not see its northern, white part as an integral part of it, and certainly not a source of sympathy.
There they preferred Senegal, Cameroon and Ghana, and from the moment they flew - Messi.
A few more days of joy
The locals, especially the merchants and taxi drivers, hope that the Moroccan celebration will continue a little longer, because it is good for business.
Without the Morocco (and Argentina) fans, the market would be much sadder, and the streets much less bustling.
This will be the case from next Monday, when the tens of thousands of fans, players, businessmen and journalists who came to cover the tournament will fly back home, but if we can have a few more days of joy and good business, what's wrong?
Moroccan fans on the Champs-Élysées, photo: AFP
It is likely that the football fans, who are less emotionally involved than the Moroccan Red Army, and those who are banking on them, prefer France to reach the final.
For them, Morocco added quite a bit of color and pepper to the tournament, but when it comes to the last game and the Holy Cup itself - it is already too serious a business for it to come to Rabat.
This matter occupied quite a few journalists yesterday in philosophical debates on whether it is good or bad for football that an African team wins the World Cup.
Bottom line, everyone agreed that it is a matter of time until it happens, and even if it doesn't happen this time - it will happen in the future (and if not Africa, then an Asian or North American team).
do the unbelievable
But for Moroccan fans, the dream is alive and well.
At least until tonight.
Hundreds of millions will accompany them in the stands and at home, and in Doha they are already preparing for a white night in the event that Morocco does the unbelievable and passes France as well.
In that case, the whole city will celebrate all night and all nights until Sunday.
Sports experts give little chance to the possibility of this happening, but Morocco and the current World Cup have already proven that dreams can become reality.
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