The African country’s fight towards the top
Salma El Gourchal
Staff Writer
After getting kicked out of the group stage in the 2018 World Cup, the Morocco National Soccer Team, known as the Atlas Lions, is back and better than ever.
This year, Morocco was in Group F alongside Croatia, Belgium and Canada. The team is led by head coach Walid Regragui. At first, many had doubted that Morocco would even pass the group stage since Belgium was ranked the number 2 men’s soccer team in the world by FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association, meaning International Association Football Federation in English), and Croatia was the runner up from the 2018 World Cup. All odds were against Morocco— or so we thought.
The first Group F game was Morocco vs. Croatia on Nov. 23 in Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. The game ended in a surprising 0-0 draw ,with Morocco having 35 percent possession of the ball and Croatia having 65 percent. Both teams got one point from the draw, beginning to make their ways up the group rankings.
Morocco’s second game, against Belgium, took place on Nov. 27 in Al Thumama stadium. Morocco beat Belgium in an astonishing 2-0 victory, with one goal coming from #11, midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri, who hails from from U.C. Sampdoria, with the help of #6, Captain Romain Saiss, from Beşiktaş J.K. At 73 minutes, Saiss practically unnoticeably deflected the ball from Sabiris’ free kick into the goal with his hip. The other goal was scored two minutes into overtime by #14, forward Zakaria Aboukhlal, from Toulouse FC, with an assist from Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, #7. This win shook the soccer world to its core.
With now four points to the team’s name (one point from the draw with Croatia and three points from the win against Belgium), the Atlas Lions had one more game—a make-or-break—against Canada on Dec. 1.
There were three outcomes where Morocco could advance to the round of 16: 1.) Morocco either beats Canada or draws with them; 2.) The Croatia vs. Belgium game, coincidentally happening simultaneously as the Morocco vs. Canada game, ends in a draw; and 3.) Croatia beats Belgium. The stakes were high for Morocco.
On Dec. 1, Morocco beat Canada Canada 2-1, which gave the Atlas Lions an additional three points. The first goal was made by #7, midfielder Hakim Ziyech, in the fourth minute, and the second goal came from #19 forward, Youssef En-Nesyri, at the 23rd-minute mark. This amazing feat led Morocco to first place in their group with seven points. Croatia and Belgium tied, making Croatia in second place overall with five points, leaving Belgium and Canada in third and fourth place, respectively, which means they’re kicked out of the competition.
Now in the Round of 16, Morocco was fixed to go against Spain— the team who kicked them out of the 2018 World Cup and who were the 2010 World Cup victors.
In 2018, Morocco and Spain tied 2-2 until Spain eventually won from penalty kicks, kicking Morocco out of the World Cup. This time, the Atlas Lions were ready for revenge.
Morocco and Spain’s match took place on Dec. 6. Both teams kept a steady 0-0 draw for the whole game, overtime included, leading to penalty kicks deciding the fates of both teams.
Morocco team beat Spain 3-0 in penalty kicks, sending the European team out of the World Cup and back home. The decisive penalty kick was scored by #2 defender Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint Germain, who is ranked the best right-back in the world according to Sports Brief News. This was a historic and groundbreaking win for the Atlas Lions. It was the first time Morocco has ever progressed into the quarter-finals, and it is the fourth African team to ever make it this far in the tournament, with Ghana being the most recent in 2010.
Goalkeeper Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou of Sevilla FC is the man to thank for this triumph. Bounou emerged as the star player of the match, blocking Spain’s on-goal shots during the game and the penalty kicks from Spain’s Carlos Soler and Spanish Captain Sergio Busquets. After the game ended, FIFA named Bounou the “Man of the Match,” and ESPN named him the best performer in the game.
Now, Morocco is set to go against Portugal this Saturday, Dec. 10, in the quarterfinals. There is a 16 percent chance of Morocco winning, with Portugal’s chances being 57 percent. There is a 27 percent chance of the game going into overtime, according to Google’s analysis.
Though this next game will be undoubtedly tough, there is still hope for the Moroccan National Team. No matter what, Moroccan fans all over the world will cheer them on and be proud. As a Moroccan myself, I am extremely proud of our Atlas Lions and couldn’t be cheering louder.
Featured image: Moroccan players celebrate their 2-0 win against Belgium. Pictured: Yahya Attiat-Allah (Top), Zakaria Aboukhlal (Left), and Abdelhamid Sabiri (Right). Picture credit: Manan Vatsyania /AFP
