They flooded through the streets of Casablanca in every imaginable way: crammed into open car boots, perched in groups of four of five on scooters, children in pushchairs or on shoulders — thousands upon thousands of them, celebrating Morocco’s historic journey to a World Cup semi-final.
It was no different in the Souq Waqif — a gathering point here of all the nations at the start of this tournament, but dominated now by huge contingents from Morocco and Argentina. ‘Our blood is Arab,’ is the message on the T-shirts which are flying off the stalls.
There is method to the madness of the world’s 22nd-ranked team travelling deeper into this competition than any African or Arab nation has done before.
Morocco fans in Casablanca celebrate their side’s epic win against Spain on penalties
Morocco celebrated their win against Portugal thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri’s goal
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has poured money into constructing a football academy which has funnelled talent into Morocco’s professional league, the Botola, as well as top leagues overseas.
The Moroccan clubs have become resurgent in the African Champions League in the last five years, after years of dominance by Egypt, Tunisia and Nigeria.
Yet this odyssey, driven by a group of indefatigable players and a man happy to be called ‘avocado head’ — the follicly challenged manager Walid Regragui — is, of course, utterly improbable.
It takes place against the background of such grinding daily struggle in Morocco that public demonstrations brought thousands out on to the streets of the capital, Rabat, just one week ago.
An estimated 3,000 protested that day, about rising inflation, the cost of living and repression, as several dissident bloggers and journalists have been imprisoned. A BBC poll of young Moroccans in 2019 suggested that 70 per cent wanted to emigrate — and that was before the rains failed, tourism slumped under Covid and the prices of basics such as flour soared after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Fans in Casablanca lined fan-zones to watch the game in hopes their side could beat Portugal
There were jubilant scenes after they defeated Spain, with Morocco now set to play vs France
The beautiful journey that Saturday’s outstanding performers Youssef En-Nesyri, Yassine, Bono and Jawad El Yamiq are taking the nation on is temporarily consigning that to the background, while the opponents this World Cup has thrown up are making the experience all the sweeter.
Beating Spain was special, given Morocco’s testy relationship with its former coloniser which still lays claim to two cities within their borders.
Until this year, Spain had been reluctant to back Morocco’s claim to a disputed slice of desert called Western Sahara, once a Spanish possession.
In retaliation, Morocco has repeatedly opened its border with Spain to allow migrants into the Spanish north African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, on the other side.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui (pictured) was hoisted into the air by his players on Saturday
On Wednesday comes France, a nation which spent two decades conquering Morocco in the early 20th century.
France’s 1907 bombardment of Casablanca was the decisive battle in Morocco’s subjugation but the look on the faces of Regragui’s players as they emerged from the dressing room on Saturday told you they feel they will be successfully fending off the battery, this time.
‘We dream of course. Dreaming is free. But to do it is different,’ said the 32-year-old captain Romain Saiss, formerly of Wolves. ‘We put a lot of energy into each game, physically and mentally.’
So much of the world is backing Morocco that players have been struggling to remember who to thank.
En-Nesyri’s (pictured) winner was enough to send Morocco through to the semi-finals
Morocco are now the first African team to reach the semi-final of the football World Cup
Sofiane Boufal offered his appreciation ‘to all Moroccans all over the world for their support, to all Arab people, and to all Muslim people,’ after the last-16 win over Spain and then received a salty response from Africans who felt excluded.
The former Southampton winger hastily posted an apology on Instagram. ‘Sorry for forgetting to mention ALL of the African continent yesterday in the post-match interview.
Thank you for being behind us, I also dedicate the victory to you of course. We are proud to represent all our brothers on the continent. TOGETHER…’
The oversight reflected the complex identity of Morocco, which sees itself at one with people outside of Africa, but Saiss didn’t make the same mistake on Saturday. ‘It’s amazing for all the country. For Africa,’ he said.
Morocco caused another major upset last week as they defeated Spain on penalties 3-0
Football fans around the world have been supporting Morocco through their epic journey
But their players have been struggling to thank all those who have shown them support
Other African football nations are viewing Morocco’s approach as a template they must follow if they, too, are to reach the last four and have designs on this trophy.
In the early years of this century, theirs seemed to be the rising continent, with Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) reaching the quarters. But then they fell away.
Idriss Diallo, president of the Ivory Coast’s football federation, said that Morocco’s investment in youth development provided a vision for all nations on that continent.
‘The King of Morocco has put €10million into football each year and created an academy superior to France’s Clairefontaine,’ Diallo told L’Equipe. ‘Apart from South Africa, no country has as much investment as Morocco. What has happened is no coincidence.
Sofiane Boufal (right) was also see dancing with his mother on the pitch after Saturday’s game
‘If every African country is lucky enough to have a government that understands the value of investing in football, we will get there. Between five and 10 of our nations can do it, with the financial means. But it’s a 10-year project. Many don’t understand that. A country misses an Africa Cup of Nations and then changes everything.’
Regragui was only appointed as coach in August this year, yet the calm he has brought has been critical. So often on this stage, volatility has fatally damaged African nations’ hopes.
Ghana’s players were in a contract dispute with their FA during the 2014 edition, while the eccentric behaviour of Cameroon’s FA chief Samuel Eto’o in Qatar can’t have helped.
Eto’o apologised for a violent altercation in which he kicked an Algerian outside a stadium and was also involved in the unexplained decision to send first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana home.
By contrast, Regragui has been a pacifier — rebuilding bridges with Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech, with whom previous coach Vahid Halilhodzic had fallen out.
‘How can you do without such a quality player as him? He’s like a Ferrari, a player at a big club,’ Regragui said before the tournament. Ziyech was key to Morocco’s counter-attacks in the first half against Portugal, before they pulled down the drawbridge and held on to their lead.
Regragui is also the inspiration behind the aspect of Morocco’s success which does most to make them every neutral’s favourite as we head into the tournament’s last week: the encouragement of the players’ mothers and fathers to be at the centre of this story.
Achraf Hakimi, the Madrid-born defender, went to embrace his mother in the crowd after despatching the decisive penalty against Spain and later posted a picture of the two of them together, captioned: ‘I love you mum.’
A clip of Sofiane Boufal dancing with his mother on the side of the pitch after Saturday’s win is as memorable as anything posted online from the past three weeks.
‘Morocco are the team for all of the people,’ said a Moroccan called Younes, who strolled the Souq Waqif with his compatriots yesterday. ‘How they play, how they speak, how they are, is how we would all want to be, if we had the chance to be out there. They are unbreakable. No one will want to try to stop them.’
Yes, that pretty much encapsulated this beautiful story. That pretty much summed it up.