Joseph Isokpehi reporting
The only African country left in the 2022 FIFA world cup Qatar, The Atlas Lions of Morocco will have plenty to play for when they come face to face with one of the tournament favourites, Portugal in the Quarterfinals of the first World Cup to be staged in the desert, the Middle East.
Ranked number 22 in the world by the world football governing body, FIFA, Morocco proved bookmakers wrong when they finished top of Group F with seven points ahead of the big guns like the 2018 world cup semifinalists, and number two best team in the world, Belgium, 2018 world cup runner up, Croatia and Canada, with Two wins and one draw.
The team also stopped European big-name and pre-tournament favourite, Spain in the second round to reach their first-ever quarter-finals at the Mundial.
With that historic feat, Morocco became the fourth African side to reach the Quarterfinals at the world cup, after Cameroon in Italia 90, Senegal in Korea / Japan 2002, and Ghana on African soil in 2010. They are also the first Arab nations to reach the last eight at the world cup.
There is this belief that Morocco who were the first African country, to top a world cup group and reach the second round in Mexico 86, after a 3-1 win over Portugal, can also become the first African country to reach the semifinals of the FIFA world cup this weekend.
Followers of the game have predicted this is the year Morocco has been waiting for. They are the current holders of the African nation’s championship (CHAN), Morocco side Wydad AC are 2022 CAF Champions League winners, and another Moroccan Club RS Berkane won this year’s CAF confederation cup, and Africa super cup, for the first time since 1998 Morocco women’s National team were runner up of this year Africa women cup of Nations hosted on home soil, Morrocan club ASFAR two months ago dethroned Mamelodi Sundowns to win the second Edition of the CAF women’s champions League.
Still, on the success of Morocco football, the Atlas lions were unbeaten in the Africa zone of the 2022 world cup Qualifiers, a feat they took to Qatar where they are also unbeaten to date. Coach Walid Regragui’s side has lost just once in 37 international games, and the loss came during the 2021 AFCON tournament held in Cameroon. What a successful year it has been for Morroco.
Morocco is gunning for history, and they will raise their game on Saturday against their neighbours just like we saw against Spain. No doubt the fans will be behind them when they face Portugal inside the 44.000-capacity Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar.
As it stands now only Morocco can stop themselves, maybe the upset will continue, but this Moroccan side have what it takes to get the job done over the Portuguese, but if they fail to land in the semifinals, the boys can have a drink for doing themselves and Africa proud in Qatar.