“This is a significant triumph for Morocco, and it isn’t a coincidence. We had faith in ourselves, we had confidence in our group … The fantasy is still alive, the journey is still in progress, and we are now two victories away from winning the World Cup.”
The Giants’ upset victory over Portugal has inspired parties from Casablanca to Baghdad.
The Morocco World Cup dream continues to enthrall football lovers after the Atlas Lions beat Portugal 1-0 to secure a place in the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Saturday’s victory in the Arab world was especially sweet, as Morocco’s advancement to the quarterfinals was the first time in World Cup history that an Arab or African country has advanced.
People poured out into the streets of Casablanca, a port city in western Morocco, to celebrate their country’s improbable yet victorious result.
“People have been dancing and celebrating here all day, and the fun is set to continue well into the night,” said Nick Haque of Al Jazeera, reporting from Casablanca.
In addition to the large number of Moroccans traveling to Qatar to support their national team, other supporters have traveled in the opposite direction, eager to experience the exciting atmosphere that has gripped Morocco, he said.
“Haque said two families fled Saudi Arabia and Qatar to be in Morocco and among Moroccans to experience the moment.”
More people want to witness history being made now.”
There are not enough words to express the significance of Morocco’s victory over Portugal in the World Cup, according to Adnane Bennis, the founder and managing director of Morocco World News, an English-language news website.
Seeing us qualify for the semifinals was huge for us,” Bennis told Al Jazeera from Rabat, Morocco’s capital.
“We will remain awake all night,” he said, noting that Moroccans—both those residing in the country and abroad—would celebrate their victory until sunrise.
“This is a monumental triumph for Morocco, and it did not come out of thin air. We had faith in ourselves and our team … The dream is still alive, the journey continues, and we are two victories away from winning the World Cup.”
There were comparable displays of elation across the region.
More than 3,000 people filled Gaza’s largest sports hall to cheer on Morocco during the World Cup.
According to Al Jazeera’s Youmna ElSayed, those gathered at the venue viewed the historic result as a victory for “all Arab nations.”
They burst into wild celebrations and showed their support for Morocco after the match’s final whistle” said Ms. Linton.
“ElSayed added that many of the game’s fans told us how significant the match was to them.”
Fans of Morocco, who is hosting the first World Cup ever to be played in the Middle East, said their grandest hopes and dreams had been surpassed by the Atlas Lions’ mesmerizing journey to the last four, where they will meet either England or France on December 14.
“This was a terrific contest, Regragui’s group was very tactical, and the entire team showed their caliber,” said fan Abdul Aziz to Al Jazeera from Souq Waqif in Doha, where people who were unable to get a ticket for the event at Al Thumama Stadium watched the game on television.
“They played two different styles in the two halves, and they were excellent in both phases,” he said. “They won the match, and they deserved to win.”
Qatar has now played more than seven hours of football without conceding to a Moroccan player, thanks to their resolute defense.
The result made me so proud, said Hussein, a Bahraini.
Qatar resident Ahmed Obeidansaid he was thrilled that the 2022 FIFA World Cup would be held in the Middle Eastern nation for the first time in history, and that the national team made it to the semifinals for the first time (Al Jazeera, 2018).
Baghdadis also congratulated Morocco on winning the match, thanks to Youssef En Nesyri’s decisive 42nd-minute header.
People are still partying tonight in Baghdad,” Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahid said, reporting from the capital.
In addition to Morocco, the entire African continent, the entire Arab world, and the entire Middle East region benefited from this victory, he said.
“People are very excited about Iraq winning the match today. They say the euphoria is comparable to when Iraq clinched the 2006 World Cup.”
