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Giant-killers Morocco eye French scalp in semi-finals

There is a sense of belief that the Atlas Lions can go all the way to script the greatest underdog triumph in football history

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Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri (right) celebrates after scoring his side's match-winning goal in the Fifa World Cup quarterfinal against Portugal, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Photo: AP

By Rituraj Borkakoty in Doha

Published: Tue 13 Dec 2022, 9:36 PM

Fans covered in Moroccan colours from head to toe swarmed the streets of Doha and Souq Wakif, the popular marketplace in the heart of the Qatari capital, on Tuesday.

Not all of them are Moroccans as fans from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Oman, Palestine, Libya, India, Ghana, Mexico and from many other countries have been bewitched by the Moroccan magic in Qatar.

Who can blame them? The team of Moroccan warriors have rewritten football history with their epic giant-killing run to the World Cup semifinal.

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Now there is a sense of belief that the Atlas Lions can go all the way in Qatar to script the greatest underdog triumph in human history.

A team of intimidating French players now stand between Morocco and a place in the World Cup final.

When the North African country locks horns with defending champions France at Al Bayt Stadium, which sits majestically in the middle of a desert, in the second semifinal on Wednesday, the vast majority of the football-loving world will be rooting for Achraf Hakimi and his team.

Morocco’s historic run is not just a victory for Africa and the Arab world anymore. With their indomitable spirit, the Moroccans have transcended all barriers.

Theirs is a story that now will inspire an entire generation of people in this world.

Theirs is a run that has now inspired their coach, Walid Regragui, to dream even bigger.

Born in Corbeil-Essonnes, a suburb of Paris, Regragui will be now plotting to bring down France where he began his own career as a footballer in the late 1990s.

Regragui was greeted with cynicism when he was appointed head coach of the Moroccan team in August, just three months before the start of this year’s World Cup.

Now his tactical brilliance has silenced those skeptics and brought three European giants – Belgium, Spain and Portugal – to their knees.

Regragui, who earned 45 caps for Morocco in his own playing career in international football, is now hungry for more.

“I was asked if we can win the World Cup and I said, ‘Why not? We can dream, it doesn’t cost you anything to have dreams,’” he said.

"European countries are used to winning the World Cup and we have played top sides, we have not had an easy run. Anyone playing us is going to be afraid of us now.”

Morocco may not be a match for France when it comes to pure footballing talent. But then, their team is also not as strong as Belgium, Spain and Portugal and yet they beat them all by defending resolutely and taking their chances.

Can they now deliver one more knockout blow?

France is the strongest team in this tournament.

But so was Brazil when they played the 1950 World Cup title decider against Uruguay at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

But Uruguay famously delivered the knockout punch to their vastly superior opponent to silence 200,000 football-mad Brazilians at the Maracana.

On Wednesday night, there will be a deafening noise at the 68,000 capacity Al Bayt Stadium if Morocco ride the wave of crowd support to end the French dream of becoming only the second team after Brazil to defend the World Cup title.

Rituraj Borkakoty in Doha

Published: Tue 13 Dec 2022, 9:36 PM

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