Morocco World Cup Success Sparks Shortage of Team Jerseys and Flags in Qatar

"In November, we used to sell a handful of Morocco jerseys a day out of the dozens we had ordered," merchant Muhammad Sadiq told Al Jazeera a few hours after Morocco’s victory over Portugal (1-0). "Whenever Morocco won, we would place an order for hundreds of others [jerseys] and sell them in the middle of the afternoon on the day of the next match," he added.

Stocks are depleted as thousands of supporters arrive in Doha to buy the jersey and support the Atlas Lions. "I was told I could find my team’s jersey here, but it seems to be out of stock," said Anas El Karim, a Moroccan supporter who arrived from Berlin a day after Morocco’s elimination of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Even those who have become Atlas Lions supporters after their first World Cup semi-final qualification wanted to get the Moroccan jersey.

"I wasn’t a fan of Morocco until I saw them beat the big European teams," said Indian football fan Yousuf Ahmed, who wanted to buy a Moroccan jersey at Sadiq’s store. "I’ve been looking for their shirt for days, but every time I come here, it’s out of stock, so now I’m going to settle for a flag." The Moroccan flag has become the second most popular after the Palestinian flag in Qatar. "Even Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indians come to ask for the Moroccan flag," said Nepalese merchant Sharf-ud-Din.

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To meet the strong demand for the Moroccan flag, local store managers have proposed a quick solution: manufacturing the flags in Qatar. "A group of Bangladeshi and Pakistani men bought red fabric sheets at a local market and made these flags at home," Din said, pointing to a handmade Moroccan flag hanging next to the Qatari and Palestinian flags.