On Tuesday, Morocco qualified for the quarter-finals of the World Cup after a victory on penalties against Spain. History!
This is the first victory for an Arab country in the round of 1978 of a World Cup. After Tunisia which, in 3 during the Argentinian World Cup, had been the first African team to win a World Cup match - victory 1 to XNUMX against Mexico -, Morocco is, for this edition, the last country carrying hopes for the continent. Yesterday, the Atlas Lions drew against the Spaniards, who they beat on penalties. Heading to the quarter-finals: Morocco will meet Portugal, hoping for a feat against Ronaldo's teammates.
If the Atlas Lions definitely have a very attractive line of attack, they can thank their goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The Moroccan goalkeeper indeed caused three Spanish failures during the penalty shootout. Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, with a panenka, offered victory to Morocco before celebrating the feat as it should be. Quite a symbol: the player, who passed through Inter Milan, was born and raised in the suburbs of Madrid.
A very strong foreign legion
This is also what characterizes the Moroccan team: 14 of the 26 players of the Cherifian selection were born abroad. Since the team coach, Walid Regragui, born in Paris, to Bounou, born in Canada, via Bouffal, Zyech, Saiss, Mazraoui or even Amrabat, the Atlas Lions can count on Moroccans living abroad. "Moroccans appreciate the fact that many of these footballers chose to play for their country of origin when they had the option of playing for a European team," marketing specialist Fatima-Ezzahra Hayad told Middle East Eye. which ensures that "players love the country and contribute to its success".
This historic victory is also that of a coach who had to take over at short notice a team used to evolving under the orders of Vahid Halilhodžić. In August 2019, the Bosnian took charge of the national team, succeeding Hervé Renard, before being ousted last August after a showdown with the all-powerful boss of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRFM), Fouzi Lekjaa.
In a rather dubious timing, the former coach of the Atlas Lions indulged in a few confidences, claiming to be "ashamed" of not being in Qatar. “I renewed 80% of the team. (…) What makes a coach credible are the results. And the Moroccan team has never obtained better than with me in the World Cup qualifiers, ”assures the former coach of PSG and Lille.
Regragui's winning bet
Moroccans abroad were also at the heart of the falling out between Lekjaa and Halilhodžić. The latter wanted to rely on players playing in the Moroccan championship. Lekjaa, he wanted more stars in his selection. "What I didn't appreciate were the smear campaigns, to create animosity between supporters of different clubs, between locals and Moroccans abroad, that locals would be prevented from playing for their country, explains the former Morocco coach. This pressure from the federation had already been going on for a long time. They wanted me to take 3-4 players, while the team had achieved results without them”.
Regragui would therefore have been taken in particular for his flexibility. He granted Lekjaa's wish to take on foreign-born players or move into other leagues. A method that will have succeeded at the Atlas Lions: if Halilhodžić had exceptional results during the playoffs, it is clear that Regragui's team achieved a major feat by becoming the first Arab selection to reach the quarters of a World Cup final.
At the international level, the image of Morocco shines: in the streets of the cities of the kingdom, the people celebrated as it should be the victory against Spain. Throughout Europe too: from Paris to Brussels, supporters of the Atlas Lions took to the streets. On the program, fireworks, songs but also some excesses.
The streets of Casablanca after the historic qualification of Morocco 🤯#FIFAWorldCup | #SEA pic.twitter.com/rUyFDDkV5k
— Vibes Foot (@VibesFoot) December 6, 2022