By Hatem Maher and Mohammed Benmansour
VANCOUVER, June 18 (Reuters) - The fan movement that gave Qatar a sea of maroon at the World Cup began with an uncomfortable conclusion: four years ago, the host nation had failed to make enough noise at its own tournament.
When Qatar opened their World Cup campaign against Switzerland on Saturday, thousands of supporters dressed in traditional Qatari attire gathered behind one goal, waving maroon-and-white flags as drums beat and chants echoed around the stadium.
"We felt the fans were scattered and didn't really have a presence at the 2022 World Cup," said Mubarak Al Mansouri, media officer for Mudaraj Al Anabi (The Maroons' Stand), a fan-led supporters' initiative founded after the tournament in Qatar.
While the Gulf nation successfully hosted football's biggest event, some supporters were left frustrated by what they saw as a lack of organisation and visibility among fans backing the national team on home soil.
The experience prompted a group of young supporters to launch Mudaraj Al Anabi ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup, hoping to unite fans and build a stronger culture of organised support around the team.
The initiative quickly gathered momentum. During Qatar's successful Asian Cup title defence on home soil, the group organised chants, coordinated supporters and encouraged attendance at matches.
"The fans were one of the reasons we won the Asian Cup," Al Mansouri told Reuters. "They also played a role in helping us through the World Cup qualifying playoffs."
The movement's growth was evident in the 1-1 draw with Switzerland.
According to Al Mansouri, around 1,000 supporters travelled from Qatar for the tournament, but the crowd grew to roughly 4,000 once students, expatriates, tourists and members of Arab communities joined them.
"The demand for tickets from students, visitors and Arab communities was unprecedented," he said.
The movement has also worked closely with the Qatar Football Association, which Al Mansouri said had helped provide tickets, flights for away matches and logistical support.
The emergence of Mudaraj Al Anabi reflects a notable development in a country where discussion about football has often focused on infrastructure, investment and development pathways rather than supporter culture.
Its activities have increasingly extended beyond the stadium. Ahead of Qatar's second group match against Canada in Vancouver, hundreds of supporters dressed in maroon took part in a fan march through the city on Wednesday, waving flags and chanting behind drums in a display of support.
"(This march) reflects the confidence and belief we have in our national team," said supporter Abdulaziz Al Maarafi. "It also shows that Qatari supporters will always stand behind the national team, wherever it plays around the world."
(Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Toby Chopra)
