Last-Minute Flight Cancellations Keep Hundreds Of Morocco Soccer Fans From Qatar

Royal Air Maroc, the national carrier of Morocco, is blaming Qatari authorities for having to cancel flights to Doha on Wednesday, a situation that has left hundreds of Moroccan soccer fans without a way to get to their country’s World Cup semi-final against France.

After an unexpected win in a quarter-final game against Portugal, Morocco became the first Arab country to reach a World Cup semi final. In a coordinated effort, Morocco’s soccer federation promised to dole out 13,000 free tickets to fans and Royal Air Maroc quickly pledged to add 30 extra flights to its schedule.

But the Moroccan airline says Qatari authorities blocked the majority of added flights, and the Moroccan national airline could ultimately only manage seven flights to Doha on Tuesday and seven on Wednesday.

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Many fans who had already booked match tickets or hotel rooms were left high and dry, reports Reuters. The airline offered an apology to fans and said it would reimburse passengers for purchased flights.

It’s not clear why the flights were blocked and the Qatari government’s international media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the answer likely lies with the reportedly huge numbers of Moroccans without tickets at Casablanca, Marrakesh and Doha airports.

Per Qatari policy, in order to attend a game in person, a visitor must first apply for a Hayya Card. Once approved, the visitor receives an email with a PDF copy of an entry permit. And the kicker: Foreigners without tickets are prohibited from entering Qatar.

For Morocco fans already in Qatar, the logistics of landing tickets were difficult but not impossible. On Tuesday, hundreds lined up for hours outside a stadium hoping to snag one of the free game tickets from the Moroccan soccer federation.

For the lucky fans to be there in person, the must-have souvenir is a Morocco soccer jersey in the country’s green and red colors — but good luck finding one. Al Jazeera reports that they have all sold out Doha’s Souq Waqif market.