Rabat – The scenes of Moroccan football fans, from different ages and walks of life, taking to the streets to celebrate the national football team’s victories have once again become more familiar.
On Saturday the Atlas Lions made one step forward on their quest for booking a ticket for the 2018 World Cup in Russia after 20 years of absence.
As they clashed with Gabon in a fully-packed Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, the Moroccan squad did not disappoint. Three goals netted by the team’s center forward Khalid Boutaib which crowned an amazing team work and a great over-all performance by all the team’s players made the night of millions of Moroccans.
Footage of fans honking their cars, waving the Moroccan flag or chanting and screaming out of joy are all over the internet.
The celebrations brought to mind glorious days when Moroccan football was in a good shape before suffering a setback in recent years.
In Casablanca, Rabat, Tetouan and other cities fans unleashed their joy as gathered en mass to share their passion for football and love for the Moroccan team.
In a county where football is a national addiction, the performances of the Atlas Lions can be a source of joy or disappointment.
Yesterday, as was the case in September when the Moroccan squad crushed Mali 6-0, fans were amazed to see their team win with style, beating a very competitive rival.
The hopes are high that the Atlas Lions’s win streak will continue when they clash with Ivory Coast in November or at least score a draw to secure qualification for the world cup for the first time since 1998.
Hervé Ranard, the national team’s manager, is aware that a difficult task awaits his players. In an interview with beIN sport, he said that they will go to Abidjan to seek victory and offer a whole nation the qualification it is “waiting for”.
