Morocco, the phenomenon that sees the African continent and the Arab world at the World Cup table in Qatar

And there is the National of Morocco, among the four best in the world. up to Croatia, Argentina Y France. One of the four will be the champion and no one – or only football fans who know how to dream big regardless of odds – would have included a representative of the African continent and the Arab world on this occasion. Unless he reaches the final and surprises (even more), it will be an anecdote if he gets on the podium in Qatar or is fourth. The Moroccans have already won.

They have gone beyond their particularities. That of goalkeeper Yassine Bounou –Bono- River fan who has promised to send his diver to Burrito Ortega; the life story of Achraf Hakimi, the footballer that Real Madrid has not been able to value and that the Spanish team has lost or the disparity of origin of its players: both for the place of birth and for the club where they work as professionals .

The squad arrived in Qatar to join group F, shadowed by Belgium – the big candidate for that quartet – and Croatia, and even overshadowed by Canada. No one expected Moroccans to be the best in their area, nor Belgians as much as Canadians. Then, they left behind a bigger candidate: Spain. The victory on penalties in the quarter-finals represented much more than the result and was played in Ceuta and Melilla, Moroccan territory where the Spanish flag flies.

Against Portugal, Morocco didn’t need penalties. But again, the lights weren’t on the red shirts. The cameras focused on the unexpected replacement Cristiano Ronaldo. There are more photos of CR7 grim-faced on the bench than defenders Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui, injured and without the possibility of a starter in their team’s historic match.

From one point of view, Morocco has better numbers than Argentina. Regragui’s men are unbeaten in Qatar, with only one goal conceded. Lionel Scaloni’s men lost one and amassed five goals in goal. Croatia, who could face him again in the final or to define third place, failed to beat him, nor was he the author of the only goal they couldn’t avoid: that consolation prize that Canada gets.

A before, without an after

There was no merit to Walid Regragui, the mastermind behind the phenomenon. The coach does not have a strong history in clubs: his curriculum includes just two championships, that of his country and that of Qatar. With Wydad Casablanca yes, they won the African Champions League last season. Before that, he was an assistant in the team he now commands.

Regragui has led an African team to a World Cup for the first time so far. After the appointments of 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018 and in the current 2022 he sat down – and the continent to which he belongs – at the table that only has room for four. However, the coach does not believe this will allow him to broaden his career horizons. They asked him after eliminating Spain, the press wanted to know if he saw himself sitting on the bench of a European team.

“It’s probably best that European clubs ask this question: why don’t they hire Arab coaches? Maybe it’s a cultural issue. Maybe it’s a mentality,” he remarked bluntly.

Morocco, Infantino’s argument

The Moroccan present is the basis of the pride of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. “There are no longer big and small teams because the level has leveled out.” The good performances of Japan, Australia or the United States and the resounding victory of Saudi Arabia over Argentina were not strong arguments like the one offered by the Moroccan team which will play seven games in Qatar.

“We have seen several victories of teams considered small, over rivals who were candidates. All continents were represented in the knockout stage and this shows that football is truly becoming more global every day,” said the top football world leader .

From a step that 26 other teams in the world have not reached, including those it was tasked with eliminating, Morocco agrees with Infantino and encourages teams without parchments to make their way almost 100 years after the first World Cup.