Morocco’s team out of World Cup but players “heroes”

Morocco coach Walid Regragui had only praise for his team’s efforts after their fairy tale run at the World Cup ended in a 2-0 semi-final defeat to France on December 14th.

“We gave our all, that’s the most important thing. The boys fought until the last minute,” said Regragui, whose team shocked Spain and Portugal in the previous two rounds.

Theo Hernandez put France ahead in the fifth minute of the match and Regragui said that early blow had a huge impact on the match.

Regragui’s team enjoyed 51 percent possession but were unable to break through the French defence.

“We said that if they gave us the ball, we would take it. We did that but we made too many technical mistakes in the first half,” said the Morocco coach.

“In the second half we were smarter, we gave away fewer balls and we caused them problems, creating a lot of opportunities but we weren’t decisive in that final 30 metres.

Regragui had to deal with a number of injury concerns. Centre-back Nayef Aguerd withdrew after the warm-up, with Achraf Dari stepping in.

Fellow defender and captain Romain Saiss, who had been a doubtful, started but had to go off in the 21st minute.

“We lost a lot of players who did their best. (Noussair) Mazraoui was ill but he played, Saiss too. I have nothing to say when the players give their maximum,” Regragui said.

“We could have scored, but unfortunately a goal didn’t come. May the Moroccans forgive us. We wanted to go to the final but … next time, God willing.”

Regragui, born in France, was proud that his team had made their presence felt on the biggest stage.

“We gave the maximum, that’s the most important thing,” he said. “The most important thing is to have given a good image, to have shown the world that Moroccan football exists and that we have beautiful supporters.”

Morocco had already made history by joining the United States and South Korea as the only teams from outside soccer’s two dominant continents to get this far. It was also the first Arab and African nation to play in the semi-finals.

The team topped a group that contained 2018 finalist Croatia and second-ranked Belgium and then progressed past 2010 champion Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages.

“Over the past 20 years you can say France is the top footballing country in the world,” Regragui said. “I’m proud because I grew up in France and I learned my trade there. Sometimes you criticise French coaches and French football, but they have the best players and the best coaches, the best team in the world.”

“If France won (the final) it would be great because we could say we lost to the world champion.”

Fan support

Morocco’s team earned a worldwide fan base, especially in Africa and the the Arab world. In a Beirut cafe where France fans had gathered to watch the game, Morocco fan Sanaa Kassemi burst into tears as the victorious French players celebrated, but she waved the Moroccan flag in the air.

“I have a French passport but I am originally Moroccan. That’s the most important thing about how I feel right now,” she said.

Elsewhere in Lebanon, Palestinian refugee Ahmad Iskandar said he felt particularly proud that a team with Arab and Islamic roots had gone so far. “We are honoured that they reached the semi-finals,” he said.

On Egypt’s Red Sea coast, banker Ahmed Zaki, 38, said Morocco had failed to take advantage of their chances. “They deserved to lose, but with honour,” he said.

In Saudi Arabia, Fahad al-Dawsari said it would inspire people in the region to dream that they might one day reach a final. “What Morocco did will encourage the Arab national teams,” he added.

African fans also voiced pride in Morocco’s exploits.

“We take our hats off to them for this brilliant run,” said Arsene Boua, who had watched the game with friends in an Abidjan bar.

In the Cameroonian capital Yaounde, car washer Michael Fogang said he was happy despite the defeat. “I am not disappointed at all. Morocco made a lot of effort,” he said in the bar where he watched the game.

In other North African states, culturally close to Morocco, their success had been particularly felt. “Thank you for making us dream,” said Lamia Mssedi, a woman watching the game in Tunis.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who had been in the stadium for the game, led tributes to the defeated Moroccan side. “To our Moroccan friends: congratulations on this beautiful journey. You are making football history,” he tweeted.

France, Morocco’s former colonial ruler, is home to hundreds of thousands of people of Moroccan origin and some North African flags were displayed in the Champs Elysées in Paris after the game.

“I am sad and proud at the same time. I’m proud of the journey we made and sad that it stops here,” said Thomas Bregas, 15, wearing a Moroccan flag, on the Champs Elysées.

Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch lauded a team he called heroes that brought joy to Moroccans and made the country’s name “resonate on every tongue during the World Cup”.

For many beyond Morocco’s borders the dream of an Arab and African team lifting the world cup lives on.

Agencies