BOSTON — Each new match at Boston Stadium also brings with it a new fan base coming out in full force. This week, Morocco’s fan base is making their way to the city ahead of Friday’s match against Scotland.
Wednesday night, Morocco fans gathered together in front of Boston City Hall to chant and rally together.
“Honestly, the atmosphere is unbelievable,” Yassina Baliag, a Morocco fan, said.
Whether they’re local to the Boston area or flew in from overseas, these fans are coming together like one big family.
“Seeing all these Moroccan fans showing up here, you know, celebrating supporting our team is something special, and that’s what the World Cup is all about,” Baliag said.
“It’s fun to have fun and peace and to be together, to celebrate together,” Aziz Baoussouh, another Morocco fan, said.
Some said they’re still hoping to score tickets to Friday’s match.
“With the prices increasing, it’s very, very hard to find the tickets with affordable prices,” Anas Bendekkour, a Morocco fan, said.
Other fans said they have a backup plan in place to make sure they don’t miss a minute of the game.
“There’s a big watch party in Revere where all Moroccans are gonna get together because we have a big Moroccan community in Revere,” Baliag said.
“For the game, I’ll hopefully be at the fan zone to watch it. I’d love to see people from not just Morocco but also Scotland as well supporting the game and having fun,” Fatima Baoussouh, a Morocco fan, said.
Most Morocco fans seemed to be embracing the Scottish invasion in Boston.
“The Scotland fans have been here for a while, so they outnumber us, but we’ve still got time to grow our fan base,” Fatima said.
“I know it’s been a lot of talk about Scotland, you know, Scottish fans being here in Boston and creating this beautiful atmosphere... but I gotta tell you, we have a big Moroccan community,” Baliag said.
Just across the street from City Hall, Scotland fans have a bigger concern than their next opponent.
“It’s great, the only problem is you keep running out of alcohol,” Scott Paterson, a Scotland fan, said.
When it comes to Moroccan fans, they’re happy to be among them.
“I think they’ll both be equally as passionate... the Morocco team [is] better than us, which is a worry,” Paul Devoy, a Scotland fan, said.
“So long as they don’t beat us, it’ll be happy days,” Paterson said.
“If everybody here locally treats the Moroccans just like they’ve treated us, they’ll be here for a good time, we’ll have a great time,” Oliver Travers, a Scotland fan, said.
But they don’t exactly feel the same sentiment for every team.
“Just bear in mind that in a week’s time, the English are coming, and that’s maybe the one group that we’d quite like if you maybe weren’t so kind to,” Travers said.
Friday’s match at Boston Stadium starts at 6 p.m.
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