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Rabat – Morocco’s national football team on Tuesday received a memorable welcome fit for heroes for their return home from Qatar where they had made history at the World Cup. The massive reception made headlines catching the attention of international media.
The Atlas Lions arrived at Rabat-Sale international airport on Tuesday evening and began their tour through the streets of Sale and Rabat in an open bus.
The national team was met with a huge reception from fans, who were armed with Moroccan jerseys and flags as they lined the streets across the two cities, eagerly awaiting the Atlas Lions.
“With applause and ululations of joy, tens of thousands of Moroccans welcomed the members of their national team as heroes on the streets of Rabat,” Spanish news outlet La Marca wrote in an article titled “Madness in Rabat to receive the ‘heroes’ of the World Cup.”
American news outlet ESPN, for its part, highlighted the magical atmosphere that supporters created, saying: “Fans packed squares and lined up along avenues and streets in and around Rabat, lighting flares, waving flags, dancing to the beat of drums and cheering as an open-top bus carrying the suit and tie-clad players rolled into the capital with a heavy police escort.”
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Rabat Nicolas Haque described the reception as an “ocean of red and green” greeting the Atlas Lions.
Read also: King Mohammed VI Awards Atlas Lions with Wissams at Royal Reception
In addition, Africa News highlighted the “royal welcome home” that “Morocco’s World Cup heroes” received. King Mohammed VI hosted the national team in the Royal palace following their arrival in Rabat and awarded them with royal wissams (medals) in recognition of their World Cup achievements.
Argentinian social media users were quick to express their admiration for the warm welcome that the Atlas Lions received, with some comparing it to the reception that their winning country’s national team had.
Argentinian news outlet Infomedia posted on Twitter a video of the reception in Morocco, saying: “Hopefully the day will come when we celebrate the triumphs of La Scaloneta (Argentina’s national team) in Argentina in a civilized way as they do in the developed African countries.”
The historic reception comes after the Moroccan squad’s unprecedented achievements at the Qatar World Cup, which were widely celebrated across Morocco, Africa, and the Arab world.
After not making it past the tournament’s group stage since 1986, Morocco came back stronger and broke the 26-year curse. Not only that, but the Moroccan national team made history after becoming the first Arab and African nation to reach the tournament’s semi-final.
