Respect, admiration, recognition… This is what our Lions have won and deserved after this historic journey which has united not only the Moroccan people but the entire African, Arab and Muslim world community. The undeniable, remarkable and extraordinary achievement of the Moroccan national team has opened the doors for the rest of the countries to believe in them.
A breathtaking performance. Injured, but with his head held high and his pride intact after playing in one of the most thrilling adventures in World Cup history. Morocco is not only the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup but it is also the very first Arab country to reach this stage. It is notably the third country, which does not come from Europe or Latin America, to stay on the verge of a final alongside the United States in 1930 and South Korea in 2002.
“The impossible is not Moroccan” is the slogan that has marked us all the most and as Moroccan coach Walid Regragui previously said: ” You may have less talent, less quality and less money, but if you have hope, work hard, fight and believe, you can do anything. “. A strong message which made Morocco a country that upset the balance of the world football system by overthrowing great footballing powers, such as Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
This is how Morocco broke the hegemony of Europe and Latin America in the semi-finals. The national team is the first to pave the way for other nations to dare to claim such a competition, since the goal, before this advance, was only the desire to pass the first qualifying phase.
Recall that before Morocco, Ghana ranked among the first eight in 2010, Senegal in 2002 and Cameroon in 1990. These are the greatest achievements of Africa until the arrival of the selection of Regragui .
However, despite the disappointment following the defeat in the semi-final against France, the Moroccan people remain above all proud of the historic journey of their national team and for them, Morocco has won everything during this World Cup, it has made an entire continent proud and it was thanks to this talented team and their attractive and efficient game which made the whole world dream following their adventures, that the boss of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, considered that it was the best world cup ever.
Note that this performance is not only the fruit of love, of faith, but it is also the fruit of discipline, long-term work, a good tactical system, management of high quality and a commitment that allowed the players to claim the Cup.
These qualities allowed Morocco to fight today for third and fourth place with their heads held high. The match which opposed him this Saturday to his Croatian counterpart proved, once again, that the Lions deserve their place in the competition and demonstrated an excellent spirit of competitiveness. We must not forget that Croatia is a very strong team which was the vice-world champion in 2018.
The Atlas Lions can be proud of their historic achievement which has inspired the entire Arab and African region and can now look forward to a future where they will write glorious new chapters in their history.