DOHA/RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccans wildly celebrating their team's historic World Cup knockout victory over Spain on Tuesday were joined by people across the Middle East and North Africa ecstatic at what they saw as a victory for the entire Arab world.
Arabs from Baghdad to Tunis cheered as Morocco became the first Arabic-speaking country to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, the first to be held in an Arab country.
In Rabat, Brahim Ait Belkhit said the spontaneous mood of joy was so great that he had patched up a feud with somebody he had avoided for years and then saw in the street."It made us forget our old quarrel," he said. Hundreds of Moroccan fans had flown into Qatar for the game, joining the large number of resident Moroccans, and there had been some scuffles as people without tickets were unable to enter the stadium.
Ahmed Inoubli, half Tunisian, half Algerian, living in Doha and married to a Moroccan woman said"nothing is impossible" at the World Cup. “This is a win for all Arabs, not just Morocco and the joy is even greater since it was achieved on Arab soil,” said Hazem al Fayez, a Jordanian who was honking his car in the centre of Amman along with friends.
At a Tunis cafe, fans clapped and sang as the game finished."It is a historic win and Morocco is honouring all Arabs and Africans," said Nourredine Sassi, who had been watching with friends.
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