Rabat – While some have left the Qatar World Cup in 2022, many football fans, notably in Morocco, are still celebrating and reminiscing about the Moroccan national football team’s historic journey at the global tournament.
Moroccan football player and Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi arrived at the Tangier airport on Tuesday as a grand public reception awaits him in his hometown Ksar el-Kebir, located in northwestern Morocco.
The reception aims to both celebrate Morocco’s fairytale journey at the World Cup and honor Hakimi for his outstanding performance at the global tournament.
Mohammed Al Simo, the president of the Ksar el-Kebir’s collective council, indicated that the reception would begin at 2 pm at the “Achraf Hakimi Municipal Stadium,” which was named after the Moroccan Atlas Lion.
Al Simo urged Ksar el-Kebir residents to attend the ceremony and “contribute to the success of the reception.”
The Paris Saint-Germain player was among the in-form, outstanding Atlas Lions who emerged as key players for Morocco during the 2022 World Cup.
Hakimi’s most remarkable moment in Qatar was the impressive Panenka penalty kick he scored during Morocco-Spain’s round of 16 game.
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His Panenka shot did not only steal the show at the World Cup, but also sealed the Moroccan squad’s shock win against La Roja and marked Morocco’s first-ever qualification for the tournament’s quarterfinals.
Following that hard-fought victory against Spain, the Moroccan national team managed to defeat Portugal in the next game and become the first African and Arab country to reach the World Cup’s semi-finals, a milestone that was widely celebrated across Morocco, Africa, and the Arab world.
Upon their return from Qatar on December 20, the Moroccan squad received a grand welcome from Moroccan fans who were lined up across the streets of the Moroccan cities of Sale and Rabat to welcome the players.
On the same day, King Mohammed VI hosted the Moroccan team in the Royal palace in Rabat, where he decorated them with royal wissams (medals) in recognition of their historic World Cup run.
