“Everything is possible in football. You have to dream in order to make it happen. If you tell a kid that he can’t, then he will never make it. We, Africans, never won the World Cup, so why not dream of it and win it?”
So said Morocco manager Walid Regragui before his team knocked out Spain on penalties in the round of 16.
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It was a message and an attitude Morocco carried through the quarter-final win over Portugal — “We won’t give excuses” — and into their semi-final defeat by France.
A 2-0 loss might sound comprehensive but Morocco — their players, coaches and fans — gave everything.
Beset by injuries, changes in personnel and formation and missing their captain Romain Saiss from 21 minutes onwards, Morocco kept going. Theo Hernandez put the defending champions ahead in the fifth minute but Morocco exposed the defending champions on more than one occasion, particularly when attacking down France’s left.
Randal Kolo Muani scored the third-quickest goal for a substitute in World Cup history, just 44 seconds after coming on, and yet the pick of the everything was arguably Sofyan Amrabat’s second-half tackle on Kylian Mbappe. It was a challenge of brutal beauty.
In the stands, Morocco fans’ support was loud and relentless, despite a fraught build-up. And outside the Al Bayt Stadium and in Doha itself, the passion and pride for Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists at the first Arab World Cup was palpable.
The Athletic’s team in Qatar analyses a team, their manager and their fans who never give up…
When FIFA’s official team sheets dropped at 8.46pm local time, Nayef Aguerd was in Morocco’s starting XI. When a second version landed at 9.55pm, just five minutes before kick-off, Achraf Dari was listed instead.
Aguerd had missed the Portugal quarter-final with a thigh injury but Regragui said the West Ham defender was “recovering from ‘flu”. “He really wanted to play,” added the manager. “He’s such an important player for us.”
Jawad El Yamiq was moved over to the left side of the back three, with Saiss — another 50/50 call to start through injury — in the middle and Dari on the right.
“I thought it best to play with three to not give them (France) space to run,” said Regragui. “Also, we have good full-backs, and to try and force their wingers (Ousmane) Dembele and Mbappe back to defend.”
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It was a gamble, though, that did not pay off. Saiss, with his heavily-strapped left thigh, was exposed by a ball to Olivier Giroud that the Frenchman blasted against the post and Morocco’s captain was forced off the field in the 21st minute, to be replaced by Selim Amallah.
“We went to a four-man defence and we actually played better,” said Regragui. “I have no regrets.”
Morocco had 61.4 per cent possession and targeted France’s left side with regularity and success (the red third shown below), having ventured that Mbappe would not busy himself with defensive duties — just as England did in their quarter-final defeat by France.
You can see how they targeted this area by looking at Morocco’s pass network for the remainder of the first half after they went behind, too.
Look at the position of Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s right-back (or right wing-back as he began the match) in the graphic below. He is occupying the space behind Mbappe with which the Frenchman does not concern himself, and is providing able back-up for Hakim Ziyech, who is supposed to be the more advanced of the two.
Despite this intent, the injuries and changes kept coming for Morocco. “Physically we had too many players who are at 60 or 70 per cent,” the manager said.
Ziyech played with strapping on his thigh. Their left-back Noussair Mazraoui went off at half-time, with Yahia Attiat-Allah replacing him. Regragui has tried to manage the game time of Sofiane Boufal and Youssef En-Nesyri throughout this tournament and they both went off again in the 66th minute.
Amrabat has needed pain-killing injections to ease back trouble at the World Cup and was in tears after the match. Yet he still managed to execute a remarkable challenge six minutes into the second half.
The tackle itself was crunching, even if he won the ball fairly, but the sprint to get back and cut off Mbappe — no slouch, after all — was almost super human. Amrabat disappeared from the camera’s view and then suddenly appeared again on the edge of the Moroccan penalty area to win the ball from the Paris Saint-Germain forward. He then regained his balance, got his head up and proceeded to try and keep the ball in play and start a Morocco attack.
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Azzedine Ounahi, who has been such an important player, went down clutching an ankle with a minute of normal time to play, only to pick himself up and hobble back into position.
If only Abderrazak Hamdallah had been able to get a shot away or turn the ball home in stoppage time.
“Despite all our injuries and tiredness, we pulled out all the stops and challenged them (France),” said Regragui. “I’d say that’s quite an achievement.
“(But) you can’t win the World Cup through miracles. It’s hard work, and that’s what we will do, keep working hard.”
“Insha’Allah” — if Allah wishes it — has been a common refrain from Regragui, a manager who has carried himself with dignity.
He has not rolled his eyes when journalists raise their hands to thank him for what his team have achieved, rather than ask a question. He was given a standing ovation when he came in to speak after Morocco beat Portugal, and was applauded again on Wednesday evening.
He has not attempted to use Morocco’s growing list of injuries as an excuse or a distraction. “Yes, players are tired and have injuries but… I won’t complain,” he said before the Portugal match, adding after his team’s victory: “Every day you win something and lose something or someone. We have 26 players in the squad, and if you want to win you have to believe in everyone.”
That belief has been evident in his words and his team’s performances.
“If people can be inspired by my story,” said Regragui before the France match, “if young kids in neighbourhoods in Europe or Africa can be inspired, then I’m proud of that. But my mission is the World Cup.
“We are not here to kid around or go through the motions. I’m telling you, we are not tired. We will dig deep tomorrow to rewrite the history books for our brothers in north Africa, all over Africa.
“Yes I’m a bit crazy, I’m a bit of a dreamer… (but) we are here because we deserve to be.”
🔺 Regragui – manager of the tournament?
🔺 Morocco's mums
🔺 Futures of Amrabat, Ounahi & Amallah@AdamLeventhal, @jaydmharris, @bosherL and @abipaterson dissect the 'Rocky' of the World Cup on their big day…🎙️ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 14, 2022
It is an outlook that has clearly been embraced by his players.
Queens Park Rangers forward Ilias Chair did not play a single minute yet said with a laugh before the France match: “I am in the semi-final of the World Cup. As a little boy, I would never have dreamt of something like this.
“Sitting on the bench is not nice. But if you see what we have created as a team, no one really cares, as long as the job gets done. I’m proud.”
After the Moroccan Football Association said it would give out 13,000 tickets for the semi-final, Morocco’s national airline, Royal Air Maroc, offered to put on 15 extra flights to help fans get to Qatar. This then dropped to seven and in the end there were no additional journeys after what the airline said were “the latest restrictions imposed by the Qatari authorities”, leaving thousands unable to travel for this historic occasion.
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In Doha, the red and green of the Moroccan flag has dominated the popular fan areas all week. Some supporters joined the line for tickets outside the Al Janoub Stadium at 11pm on Monday, queuing through the night ahead of the scheduled opening at 10am on Tuesday.
By noon, thousands had gathered and only a few ticket stalls were open, with the prolonged queues increasing security fears as people collapsed in the heat and guards pushed fans back and lengthened the zig-zags of the queues.
Tension and frustration outside Al Janoub Stadium as thousands of Morocco fans queued for semi-final tickets 🇲🇦
I witnessed multiple fans get treatment in ambulances after collapsing in heat
Felt very unsafe
More on @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/3jUlaftIMz pic.twitter.com/zX7gTHnPtZ
— Jay Harris (@jaydmharris) December 13, 2022
On Wednesday, there were more queues at Al Janoub, a stadium to the south of Doha, and then people gathered outside the team’s hotel in the city’s West Bay. Some told The Athletic they had been promised tickets to the semi-final would be handed to them on arrival; others thought they might be given free seats.
Most, however, were disappointed but resolved to watch outside at Al Bayt — with the misguided hope they might be allowed in after 20 minutes or so — or at the FIFA Fan Festival, just off the Corniche, the three-mile promenade along the city’s waterfront.
Some 27,000 watched on three big screens at the fan festival, which is free to attend; many sitting quietly on the hard tarmac floor with their children or extended family and the vast majority eschewing the Budweiser on sale. Thousands began streaming out as soon as France went 2-0 up.
Others drove around beeping their horns incessantly or congregated by the large screen near the Museum of Islamic Art or in Souq Waqif, the renovated marketplace in Doha where groups of fans have tended to gather. Again, the prevalence of families was noticeable.
So too was the police presence outside the perimeter of Al Bayt. The stadium is an hour by road north of Doha and inaccessible by metro, and security cordons were prepared for the thousands of Morocco fans who opted to go without tickets.
Lots of fans, majority Moroccan, have travelled to Al Bayt without a ticket – which was predicted. Heavy police presence – including riot police, dog units, horses – on perimeter of ground. @TheAthleticFC pic.twitter.com/moc9yDBGy1
— Adam Leventhal (@AdamLeventhal) December 14, 2022
It was a more straightforward experience for some, though. A French-Moroccan family of five spanning three generations flew in from Dubai on Wednesday afternoon. One of the daughters sang the French anthem and another the Moroccan version. They got their tickets via a WhatsApp group and flew back to Dubai in the early hours of Thursday.
Those who got inside certainly made one hell of a noise. Morocco fans dominated the 68,895-seat stadium which is modelled on the tents used by Qatar’s nomadic people and the sound they generated was ear-splitting.
Breaks in play or spells of French possession were met with piercing whistles. The drummer behind Yassine Bounou’s goal in the first half did not stop and even the shock of Theo Hernandez’s early goal and Olivier Giroud hitting the post did not keep them quiet for long.
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When the clock reached the 90th minute, with their side 2-0 down and only stoppage time to play, the sea of red supporters acknowledged the team’s enormous effort. And when the full-time whistle blew, signalling the end of Morocco’s World Cup journey, the cheers got even louder. The feeling was pure pride.
While the match passed without incident between supporters at Al Bayt, there were some worrying reports in France of clashes between supporters of Morocco and Les Bleus.
After the game, the mood in Qatar was largely sanguine. At Al Bayt, a brother and sister described how the team had “played with their hearts” and had extra pressure on their shoulders “because they wanted to do so well for the people, for Moroccans — especially after making such an effort to get here”.
They were also at pains to point out that Morocco is an African nation and this has been Africa’s World Cup.
But their story, their determination to fight until the end, has been embraced by many outside Africa, too.
Additional contributors: Charlotte Harpur, Adam Leventhal, Jay Harris, Abi Paterson
(Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)