Morocco has already made history in this Qatar Cup. I wrote at the beginning of the World Cup that Senegal had the greatest potential to mark the tournament with the fingerprints of an African team. He was the one who could go further. Without Sadio Mané, however, England could not resist. It fell to the Moroccans.
The country reached the quarterfinals. It is already the best participation of the Moroccan national team in a World Cup. It is already, at least, equal to the best participation of an African country in the tournament.
Even without world stars like Mané and the Egyptian Salah, the Moroccans join Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010). The Ghanaians were the closest to getting past that stage and reaching a semi-final. They missed a penalty in the last minute of extra time against Uruguay.
Now, Morocco will have that chance. Take Portugal. If we take into account the overwhelming football presented by the Portuguese in the round of 16 against Switzerland, Moroccan life will not be easy. Incidentally, a victory against Cristiano Ronaldo’s country is highly unlikely.
But it’s good for them. That’s because the improbable has been part of Morocco’s path.
The country topped its group in the first round. It won against the famous and trendy Belgian generation, which stayed along the way. It qualified for the round of 16. It became the first African team to score seven points at a World Cup. It defeated Spain, another very popular team.
Taking Portugal as an underdog now, therefore, does not seem like a problem.
Shortly before the match between Morocco and Spain, the FIFA website published a text in which it talks about “the continued success of Moroccan football”. In the article, the highest football entity states that the country is reaping the fruits of a planned development, with the aim of strengthening the sport in the country.
Fifa remembers the classification of the Moroccan women’s team for the World Cup next year and the good results of the Moroccan youth teams in national team competitions.
This is only the sixth time that Morocco participates in a World Cup. In 2019, the country inaugurated the Mohammed VI Football Academy. It is focused on developing new talent and ranked by FIFA as one of the most “successful sports academies in the world”.
It is too early to say whether the good result is the result of that investment in the development of football so praised by Fifa. But the fact is that Morocco surprised Spain. He won on penalties 3-0.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bono leaves the World Cup, regardless of the result against Portugal, as an idol of the fans.
With pragmatic football, he surpassed one of the world champions. He even had chances to win in normal time. Apart from the chance to become the African team that has gone the farthest in the history of the Cups, it is the only “intruder” team in the tournament, currently.
It is in the quarterfinals with four world champions (Brazil, Argentina, England and France), two vices (Holland and Croatia) and the team of the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo. In the final stages of his career and with relationship problems, there is no doubting the Portuguese’s ability to resolve a match with a brilliant move, even in a crisis.
For those who like surprises and are tired of seeing the same teams always winning, hoping that Morocco continues “messing up” the Cup is the last chance of novelty in the tournament.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
