They were three weeks that made Moroccans dream of the unthinkable.
If Roman Saiss and his Atlas Lions captured the hearts of the football world by becoming the first African and Arab country to qualify for the semi-final of a FIFA World Cup, what it meant to Moroccans was inexpressible.
“It seemed like every few days something beautiful happened and then, while you were enjoying your joy, the team won another game,” Tom Yousef Drissi, a die-hard fan of the national soccer team, told Al Jazeera.
“One achievement was overshadowed by another – it was a complete dream.”
It's been just over a year since Morocco's fairytale run in Qatar ended with a fourth-place finish after beating European powerhouses Portugal, Spain and Belgium in qualifying.
While the world admired the Atlas Lions for their compact and tactically sound football (they refused to give ground to their much higher-ranked opponents), what Moroccan fans valued even more was the way their team behaved away from the field. field.
'Moroccan style'
The family atmosphere in the team hotel, the parents singing and dancing on the field, the unapologetic demonstration of their faith and the relentless support for the people of Palestine endeared the men in red and green to their fans.
His coach Walid Regragui even stated that Morocco's success “is not possible without the happiness of our parents.”
With the eyes of the world on the North African nation, “they gave their best in an absolutely Moroccan way,” according to Drissi.
“Seeing the mothers in djellaba and hijab and the players doing sajda after the game was great. It's one thing to be successful, but to be successful with a team that you feel represents you was incredible.”
Last summer, Drissi was having lunch with his father at a restaurant in Rabat when they saw Regragui sitting calmly a few meters away.
“My dad walked up to him, kissed him on his bald head and said, 'You lifted our heads,'” he recalled.
“For months after the World Cup, all Moroccans walked around feeling like they were half a meter taller,” Drissi explained.
The national team won more hearts last September after a deadly earthquake shook the Moroccan region of Marrakech-Safi. Almost immediately after the natural disaster, the Atlas Lions were photographed donating blood for the victims.
A revolution in the making
While football experts may not have predicted Morocco's record-breaking World Cup run, to say their success materialized overnight would be inaccurate.
Karim Bencherifa, an experienced Moroccan coach, believes that the success of the national team is not unexpected.
Bencherifa, who coached the Moroccan women's team and the under-23 men's team, saw a “football revolution” unfold between 2017 and 2019.
“Building a high-quality football infrastructure, scouting players in Morocco and abroad, selecting young talent from age-group teams and having representation in international sporting bodies was all part of the plan,” he said.
Morocco now has the best national technical center on the continent in the Mohamed VI Complex, near Rabat. The center's scouts have helped recruit the best Moroccan footballers playing abroad.
The North African nation will host the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
As well as impressing at the World Cup, Morocco impressed in its first appearance at the FIFA Women's World Cup, winning two African Nations Championships, two African Futsal Cups of Nations and one under-23 African Cup of Nations.
'A mythical tournament'
But despite a long list of accolades, Morocco continues to escape one title: the senior men's African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The last time the Atlas Lions won the continental title was almost five decades ago, in 1976,
Will the strong desire to finally win Africa's main trophy and the weight of expectations weigh down the stars?
Morocco's top-four finish in Qatar makes them clear favorites for the title, but experts believe tough challenges await the team in Ivory Coast.
“Every team would want to beat the World Cup semi-finalists,” Bencherifa said.
Morocco's tactics are also in question, with analysts saying Regragui may need to alter the team's structure and playing philosophy.
In the World Cup, Morocco stood out for thriving without possession of the ball. It was a reactive team, which closed the passing lanes on the field and counterattacked with precision and effectiveness.
However, experts expect Morocco to have the most possession of the ball in the AFCON.
It could spell trouble for their star players Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri and Amine Harit as they may not enjoy the same success when the onus of defeating the opposition in a role reversal falls on them .
Bencherifa, although concerned, believes that Morocco's determination to win the AFCON can overcome the temptation to play attractive football.
“Although they [should] Our goal is to do both,” he adds.
What about the weight of expectations and its psychological impact?
Drissi, a Rabat fan, admits that the team will be under pressure and that makes him nervous.
“We have only been in one semi-final [at AFCON] once in the last 20 years,” he admits disappointed.
“The AFCON is almost like a mythical tournament for Moroccans. “It would really be a weight off our shoulders if we could take the trophy home.”
