RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s national soccer team is set to return home Tuesday after pulling off the seemingly impossible feat of finishing fourth at the World Cup in Qatar. Tens of thousands of Moroccans were expected to turn out to greet the players.
As the first African or Arab team In reaching the World Cup semifinals, the Moroccan team, known as the Atlas Lions, made history and was one of the great successes of this year’s tournament, the first hosted by an Arab nation.
Huge crowds were in the streets of the Moroccan capital, Rabat, and the rest of the North African kingdom for the return home. After the team beat the former European colonial powers Belgium, Spain and Portugallost to France in semifinals. Their record-breaking performance means players are likely in for a hero’s welcome.
“Morocco’s run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup will go down in the history books as one of the most exciting campaigns since the start of the tournament,” Reda Ghazi, 27, a cafe owner, told The Associated Press. . “It was the dream of every Moroccan to win something, especially since Morocco is a country where the passion for football is overwhelming.”
After their plane lands, players will travel in an open-top bus through the main avenues of the capital. The royal court said Monday that King Mohammed VI would receive the team at the Rabat palace “to celebrate their great and historic achievement.”
Morocco finished fourth in the competition after losing to Croatia 1-2 in the match for third place on Saturday, exceeding the expectations of most Moroccans.
“I still can’t understand what happened in this World Cup,” added 23-year-old student Anour El Berkaoui. “The team has now set the bar so high that we won’t be happy with anything less than winning the next Africa Cup of Nations.”
The Moroccan team delighted many Arab football fans who saw the team as a reflection of themselves. The players waved the Palestinian flag after their victories and celebrated on the pitch with their mothers and children.
The team also galvanized support across Africa.
“As an African team, we broke many records and made the entire continent proud,” said Rabat resident Omar Zorgane.
“Morocco as a whole will gain a lot from this year’s World Cup, from tourism to attracting attention from other countries and possibly hosting one of the biggest tournaments in the world in the future,” he said.
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