Morocco have made history by becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals at successive World Cups, following their last-16 victory against the Netherlands. The Atlas Lions, semi-finalists in 2022, now face France in a rematch of that tournament's semi-final.
Pride and contentment in Morocco
"The general feeling, amongst Moroccans, is pride and contentment in this team," says Amine El Amri, a football journalist based in Casablanca. "The main goal before the competition was to reach the quarter-finals, given the context, given the change of manager, with the departure of Walid Regragui and the coming of Mohamed Ouahbi. I think the victory over the Netherlands cemented the reputation of Ouahbi as a trustworthy coach."
Morocco's win against Canada, despite a difficult first half, has further boosted confidence. "You have to be in Casablanca, in Marrakech, in every city and little town, to just measure how happy people are. Our Saturday night was crazy – no one slept," El Amri added.
Quarter-final challenge against France
Morocco face a formidable French attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé at Boston Stadium. Coach Ouahbi's composure during tough moments against the Netherlands and Canada has been praised by former Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell, a veteran of three World Cups.
"Nobody can play against Morocco at the World Cup and say that they are sure to win," Bell says. "They can be behind in a game but they will never lose their temper, they will never be out of themselves, they focus and keep playing with confidence that their game will lead them to recovery."
Contrast with other African teams
Bell attributes Morocco's success to solving off-field problems. "This is what happens when a team have solved all their problems … They are able to totally focus on the games they are playing, without thinking about financial or administrative problems. This is a well-prepared team. Sadly, most of our teams in Africa are not operating at this level."
Ghana, for example, hired coach Carlos Queiroz less than two months before the World Cup and played only two warm-up matches. Captain Jordan Ayew admitted after elimination by Colombia: "You can't do that in one month or two months. Football doesn't work like that." Queiroz later stressed the need for professional management, saying, "The future of the Black Stars will not be built only on the pitch. Black Stars’ success must start off the field."
Senegal's collapse and lessons
Senegal's World Cup ended in disappointment after losing 3-2 to Belgium in the last 32 despite leading 2-0 in the 86th minute. Sunday Oliseh, former Nigeria captain and coach, noted the pain of such a collapse. "The only consolation was that we were naive and new to the trade," he says. "But for it to happen now, with the experience our players in Africa have and knowing how teams close up shop, when they are 1-0 or 2-0 up, it's worse. Many are blaming the coach but the experienced players should have also taken control."
Africa's World Cup future
Bell believes African teams will achieve World Cup success when federations improve governance. "I think we are getting closer and closer to winning a World Cup," he says. "But if we are serious, we need to have three or four countries in the quarter-finals." For now, Morocco carries that burden alone, inspiring a continent with their historic achievement.
