FIFA, the governing body of world football, has commended Morocco’s football prowess, stressing that the country has become a rising power in the global football landscape since its historic run at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
The FIFA article took its readers back to the exciting times when Morocco made the Arab and African world proud after consecutive impressive wins against some of world football’s most formidable countries to become the first Arab and African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
The Atlas Lions’ heroic performances in Qatar won them legions of admirers and made local, regional, and international headlines.
“In the streets of Casablanca, Marrakech, and Rabat, Moroccan flags were flying high, and the voices of fans echoed with songs and cheers supporting their national team,” FIFA said today.
Instead of a temporary enthusiasm or passion that fades as soon as the occasion for which it was summoned ends, the article continues, this generation of talented Moroccan players has created a national passion that endures.
It is the kind of passion that “trends into a contentious driving force supporting the national team in every international event,” FIFA wrote, hailing the Atlas Lions’ equally impressive participation in the Olympics in Paris.
Despite their 2-1 loss to Spain in the semifinals, “the Moroccan Olympic team proved its worth and strength by reaching the semi-finals once again,” FIFA said.
The Atlas Lions’ Olympic journey included an impressive qualification to the knockout stage, with the Moroccans topping a group that included Argentina, Iraq, and Ukraine.
In the quarter-finals, Morocco even more impressively defeated the US by a sweeping 4-0 scoreline.
The match against Spain in the semi-finals ended the Atlas Lions’ dream of winning the gold or bronze medal. But with a third-place game against Egypt scheduled for Thursday the Atlas Lions can still conclude their Olympic journey on a high note.
