Eliminated by France in the semi-finals of the World Cup, Morocco comes out of the competition with their heads held high after a remarkable run. But despite the (very) many positive points, after the match, it was disappointment that reigned among the supporters.
The time is no longer party time. After three weeks of almost perfect competition, Morocco lost (0-2) against France on Wednesday evening, in Doha, in the semi-finals of the World Cup. The fans’ hope of being the first African country to win the trophy was quickly dashed by the reigning world champions, who opened the scoring in the 5th minute of the match. “It’s hard to lose against France”, says Mohammed, a little stunned in his chair. As for many, this defeat against the former colonizing country goes badly. “We had already beaten Spain, Portugal… to complete the trio, only them were missing”, Sarah laments, looking sad.
In Rabat, the rain that fell all day on the Moroccan east coast was good news in a country hard hit by drought, but it made the evening for the Atlas Lions supporters even more difficult. A young man in his thirties dressed in Morocco’s red and green jersey, Marwan sighs: “There are a lot of emotions. This World Cup reminded us how united we could be.
“It’s hard for everything to end”
Despite the economic crisis and social tensions, the series of victories chained since the start of the competition had created a joyful dynamic in the kingdom. After each match, tens of thousands of people of all genders and generations rushed to the streets across the country to celebrate the national team. The days were punctuated by the organization of the next meeting and each gathering was a celebration. “It’s hard that everything stops, says Inès, 15, wrapped up in her raincoat, We had become accustomed to these moments of joy.
Nour, his big sister, interrupts him: “But it’s not over yet! There remains the match for the podium against Croatia, and then look at the people dancing, it is proof that we are still there. Despite the rain, a few hundred brave people actually took out bendirs (Moroccan drums), smoke bombs and vuvuzelas. On the sidewalk opposite, a group of women alternate ululations and dances of joy. “We are proud of our Lions, launch one of them, We are proud to be Moroccan and we will accompany our team to the end.
Attracted by the smiles of the dancers, the supporters who gradually leave the cafes to return to their homes linger a bit in front of the show. A group of young boys start the song usually sung at the top of their lungs by Moroccans after a victory: “Hey oooh, Mabrouk Ali, Hadi Bidaya” (“Congratulations to us, it’s only the beginning”), but the heart is no longer there and, quickly, everyone resumes their journey. With his two children on his hands, Abdallah admits: “We will have to digest. We had ambitions for this World Cup. At the beginning, we never imagined reaching the semi-finals, but once qualified, we dreamed of winning the trophy.
“We have become credible again in the eyes of the world”
Even if the celebrations are not easy on this evening of defeat, these three weeks have allowed Moroccans to believe again in their football team. “We have to remember where we come from”, we hear regularly. “It has been since 2004 [où le Maroc a perdu en finale de la Coupe d’Afrique des nations face à la Tunisie, ndlr] that we hadn’t vibrated like that with the Lions, explains Amine, a Marrakech entrepreneur who came to see the match with his family. We must thank Moroccan football for this spectacular reconstruction. In fifteen years, we have again become credible in the eyes of the world. Now, hopes are turned to the future. From side Achraf Hakimi to striker Youssef En-Nesyri, via midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, many starters are no more than 25 years old.
“Today, we know that we have the means to win an African Cup, Ame continues. This generation is here for a long time and, with the great coach we have, I have confidence for the next few years. Confidence is the main gain of this competition for Moroccans. King Mohammed VI was not mistaken. In an appeal addressed to coach Walid Regragui and captain Romain Saïss, the sovereign thanked the whole team “for having done honor to the Moroccan people” thanks to “high values of sportsmanship”. “At least, no one ignores who the Moroccans are any more”, concludes Amine, with a smirk.