Overjoyed, Moroccans are ‘proud’ of Africa and the Arab world

A fan of the Moroccan football team waves the flag of Morocco December 6, 2022 on the Champs-Elysées in Paris after Morocco’s victory over Spain in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar. Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

From Casablanca, the temple of football, to Rabat, the serene capital of the kingdom, Moroccans exploded with joy on Tuesday after their national team’s historic qualification in the quarter-finals of the World Cup at the expense of Spain.

At the end of the breathtaking anticipation of the song, screams, tears, the crackle of smoke bombs, the piercing din of horns and vuvuzelas glorified the feat, at the end of the penalty shootout, the Atlas Lions, the first Arab selection to reach this stage of the competition.

In Rabat, at the final whistle, thousands of fans in a good-natured atmosphere burst into the prestigious Mohammed V Avenue.

King Mohammed VI, wearing a red jersey with a green star and the national flag, was seen riding a white sedan there in the midst of a cheering crowd, according to videos posted on social media.

In a telephone conversation, the sheriff’s monarch praised the “historic game” of the members of the national team.

“Magic”

“We stood behind Morocco for millions. This team represents a spirit, a union,” exults Imad Ait Unedjar, project manager, in a crowded trattoria in Casablanca, home to two rival Moroccan football giants, Raja and Wydad.

Moroccans celebrate their team’s victory over Spain on December 6, 2022 in Rabat. Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP

“This victory is for Morocco, Africa, the Arab world and all the peoples who believed in us. We are proud to be Moroccans,” the young man says enthusiastically.

In fact, the Atlas Lions are the last African or Arabian selection still active in Qatar.

“I can’t believe it! This team works wonders! It’s so beautiful!” adds next to Lamia Afriya, 24 years old. “I am proud, we have done the unthinkable!”. “Magic”. “The most beautiful match in the history of Morocco!!!”, decided the old fan Turabi Abdellah. For everyone, this is a dream come true after so many years of waiting and disappointment.

The Atlas Lions have never gone this far in a world tournament. Until Monday, their best result in top football competition was in 1986 when they reached the round of 16.

In this restaurant in Casablanca, the atmosphere seemed unreal. Until the very end, fans – both men and women – in red flags and jerseys with a green star walked behind the Lions. After the victory, the hall unanimously chanted “Next” and “Dima Magrib (Always with Morocco)”.

“Brothers and Neighbors”

This epic duel has taken the form of a derby: the coast of Spain is located just 14 km from Tangier, on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

In addition to the purely sporting aspect, Rabat and Madrid have common interests, economic, as well as in the fight against illegal immigration.

After nearly a year of diplomatic spat over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, the two neighbors normalized their relations in mid-March. Today they seem to be in good shape.

Several Moroccan internationals play in the Spanish league, such as striker Youssef En-Nesiri and goalkeeper Yassin Bounou (Sevilla), winger Ez Abde (Osasuna) and defender Jawad El-Yamik (Real Valladolid).

National team star Ashraf Hakimi, the author of a daring panenka during a shot on goal that his team delivered, meanwhile was born in Madrid and trained at Real Madrid.

But the Atlas lions have won hearts outside of the Cherifian kingdom as well. Scenes of jubilation erupted in Syria, Saudi Arabia and even in Gaza after Morocco’s group matches. In Paris, several hundred fans celebrated the victory on the Champs-Elysées on Tuesday. Palestinian fans even improvised a song in honor of the eleven Moroccans. For their part, the Moroccan heroes posed for post-match photos in Doha with the flag of Palestine.

Even in the context of an acute crisis between Morocco and Algeria, football managed to unite the two “brotherly peoples”. “Away from all the hateful and vicious social media trolls, the Algerian people stand behind the Moroccan people (…) Your brothers and neighbors are with you,” the DZfoot page, which has more than a million followers, wrote on Tuesday. , Twitter followers. Several Algerian internationals also hailed the Moroccan feat on social media.

In file

Qatar, except for the World Cup

  • In Lebanon, even the World Cup has a bitter aftertaste
  • In the southern suburbs of Beirut, we mourn Team Melli… waiting for Brazil
  • Abraham Accords being field tested in Qatar

View entire file

Source: L Orient Le Jour

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