“What we are seeing today is historic – being one of the top eight teams here. I think they can make it to the final. Our players are fighting for our homeland,” said Abderrazak Chairi in Doha. The 60-year-old scored twice in the 3-1 win against Portugal in the group stage game in Mexico 1986. In the round of 16, Morocco lost 1-0 to Germany through a late goal by Lothar Matthäus.
“I was a kid then. The 1986 players were our heroes, we all wanted to be like them. Maybe now we will let the children dream of Morocco and one day they will play for our country,” said the acclaimed coach Regragui, who became the first African coach to reach a World Cup quarter-finals. “Morocco has the support of many people behind it to create something historic.”
Morocco dreams of a big coup
Before the World Cup quarterfinals between Morocco and Portugal on Saturday (4:00 p.m.), many millions of people are rooting for the outsider, who is being taken over by all sides. For Morocco it would be the first semi-final entry.
“The story goes on …”
The term “historic” is used quite often in connection with Morocco these days. Roger Milla once celebrated his goals as a striker at the 1990 World Cup with hip swings at the corner flag, he was in the quarter-finals with Cameroon. “The story goes on…” Milla tweeted these days and showed a photo montage with his person, with Papa Bouba Diob, who was in the World Cup quarter-finals with Senegal in 2002, with Asamoah Gyan (Ghana 2010) – and with Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech in the foreground .
Chelsea player Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain, Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich and goalkeeper Bono from FC Sevilla, the penalty taker from the round of 16 win against Spain – these are the well-known players from the quarter-finalists.
Strong on defense
Morocco have conceded just one goal in the tournament, beating Canada 2-1 – and that was also an own goal. Will the team make it to the semifinals? “It’s about time that happened,” said Abdelhamid Sabiri in an interview with “La Repubblica”. The team has 14 players who were not born in Morocco. “This changes nothing. Your culture is what your parents teach you. Mine is Morocco, that’s why I’m here,” explained the 26-year-old, who came to Germany at the age of three and now plays for Sampdoria Genoa.
World Cup Quarterfinals
Start 4 p.m.:
Morocco – Portugal
Doha, Al Thumama Stadium, SR Tello (ARG)
Possible lineups:
Morocco: Bounou – Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui – Amrabat, Ounahi, Amallah – Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Portugal: Costa – Dalot, Dias, Pepe, Guerreiro – Neves, Otavio – B. Silva, Fernandes, J. Felix – Ramos
“Our hearts are Moroccan, we’ve all learned that,” said his French-born coach Regragui. After the coup against Spain, his team was celebrated not only at motorcades in Doha and many cities around the world, but especially at home. King Mohammed VI also retired there. from Morocco put on a jersey and let himself be driven through the crowds in the capital Rabat. In Casablanca, a few special machines with fans will fly to Doha on Friday and Saturday – the demand is said to have been huge, and places have become scarce.
Solidarity in the Arab world
At the beginning of the tournament, Regragui saw his team as a purely African team. Nigeria 1994, Ghana 2010 – those were his reference points. In the meantime, he gratefully accepts the support of the entire Arab world, to which Morocco also belongs in terms of language alone. Regragui was “very happy that we can bring joy to the people of Morocco, the Arabs and the Africans”. There were also horn concerts in Tunisia, Morocco’s footballers were celebrated in Egypt, and in more distant Lebanon people sang: “God bless Morocco and our only Arab team.”
Even from neighboring Algeria, with which Morocco’s relations are strained, there was congratulations after the victory against Spain. “Congratulations brothers, the Maghreb is proud of you,” wrote Algerian football star Ismael Bennacer of AC Milan. However, the media was noticeably reticent with their reporting. Both countries are at odds over the status of neighboring Western Sahara.
Discussions about Ronaldo
While underdogs Morocco are drunk on their historic opportunity, Portugal’s selection is busy smoothing things over in the Ronaldo case. “It’s high time to leave Ronaldo alone,” stressed team boss Fernando Santos. Of course, none of this changes the fact that the Portuguese are favorites, even if Santos made it clear: “It won’t be an easy game for Portugal.”
He left open whether his superstar would return to the starting XI against Morocco. “Any player who doesn’t play isn’t happy. We coaches have to deal with it,” said Santos, who can hardly get past Goncalo Ramos, the three-time round of 16 goalscorer in the 6-1 win over Switzerland. The 37-year-old Ronaldo was not in the starting XI against Switzerland for the first time since 2008 in a major tournament. “I explained my point of view to him, he accepted it,” said Santos, who again dismissed reports of Ronaldo’s departure threat. “He never said he wanted to leave the team. It is high time that we ended this polemic.”
It’s high time to leave Ronaldo alone and acknowledge what he’s “done for Portugal’s football,” Santos said. He sees it as absolutely natural to inform a player about his reserve role in a personal conversation, explained the national coach. “He’s the captain of our team, he gave so much to Portuguese football, to the people, to the national team.” Even as a substitute, Ronaldo behaved in an exemplary manner: “He warmed up with his teammates, he celebrated all the goals, he did encourages the team to thank the fans.”
Santos shows respect
Santos expects a “completely different opponent” than Switzerland on Saturday, said the 68-year-old when asked if he would change his starting XI. “Every coach sets up his team the way he sees fit and adapts the strategy to the opposition. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” Portugal’s 2016 European champion coach expressed great respect for Morocco. “They are a very organized team with great potential,” he said.
Morocco coach Regragui did not want to take part in the discussions about Ronaldo. But his statement was clear: “I don’t know if Ronaldo will play against us, but I hope not. He’s one of the best of all time and I’d be happy if he doesn’t play us.” Either way, it’s a “challenge against one of the best teams in the world. They could field two or three quality teams in this tournament.”
