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          Morocco fans take over 2022 World Cup semifinal vs. France

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          Burley lauds history-making Morocco (1:41)

          Craig Burley is full of praise for Morocco's performance and resilience after they become the first African team to make it to a World Cup semifinal. (1:41)

          • Jeremy Willis, ESPN.comDec 14, 2022, 02:41 PM ET

          Morocco have become the Cinderella team of the 2022 World Cup. The Atlas Lions have already defeated powerhouses Spain, Portugal and Belgium in their run to the tournament semifinals.

          They are already the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal and, despite Qatari authorities forcing the cancellation of flights from Morocco, Moroccan fans have flocked to Al Khor for the matchup against France, the defending World Cup champions.

          As the tournament's remaining underdog, Morocco have become an adopted team for many fans -- and have football fans from other African nations joining the Moroccan bandwagon. So much so that Morocco matches in Qatar have a home-field advantage for the Atlas Lions.

          Here's a look at the scenes from the match.

          Prior to the match, fans were celebrating in Al Khor, where the match is being held, and at the Souq Waqif marketplace in Doha, where approximately 13,000 native Moroccans live.

          ESPN's Omar Flores Aldana reported that Morocco's embassy in Qatar made 5,000 tickets available for its citizens for the round of 16 match against Spain. However, a similar offer wasn't made for the Portugal match, and Moroccan fans struggled to find tickets for the game against France. Despite that, fans showed up in droves around Al Bayt Stadium.

          Mesut Ozil, the former Real Madrid and Arsenal star, was also at the game cheering for Morocco.