More than four decades ago, Brazil’s football legend Pele made a shocking prediction that “an African nation will win the World Cup” and many experts throughout the decades made fun of him.
This year, Morocco is in a unique position on bringing the Pele words to fruition, a dream that is so much more than its own nation as its achievements have united a region and continent in celebration.
Videos on social media show car horns blaring long into the night in Casablanca; crowds dancing in London’s Trafalgar Square; streets packed with people in Rabat; fans celebrating in Paris, as well as halls of Moroccan fans, erupting with joy ahead of Wednesday’s game against France, Morocco’s onetime colonial ruler.
Morocco, who reached the round of 16 at the 1986 World Cup, is the only team from outside Europe or South America to make it to this stage in Qatar.
The team is yet to lose at this World Cup and has conceded only one goal in their past seven games.
“The feeling is incredible; it’s can be likened to Nigeria’s triumph at the 1996 Olympics,” Ndagi Job Goshi, the General Manager of Liferay Africa told BusinessDay from Casablanca.
The team is yet to be beaten at this year’s tournament and has conceded just once – an own-goal against Canada in the group stages.
“How they’ve built up to this stage has been the most impressive thing,” Job Goshi said. “They sacked the coach before the tournament and brought in somebody who was not afraid to make decisions and the tactical discipline.
Experts say Morocco’s long-term foresight, capital investment and bravery to appoint a coach unafraid to dream investment has led to Atlas Lions being the first from Africa to make the semi-finals.
“The development of football in Morocco is founded on a triangular approach that should form the basis of the development of any system: facilities, talent and qualified personnel,” the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) president, Fouzi Lekjaa said.
Usher Komugisha, an Analyst for Al Jazeera at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar believes “Morocco’s success is not coming from the sky. They are intentional”.
“They have a Mohammed VI Complex in Maamoura covering almost 30 hectares with an overall investment of $ 65.4 million built over a period of 3 years. It’s used by all the national teams,” She tweeted.
After decades of footballing mediocrity, the FMRF with the backing of King Mohammed VI – decided to overhaul the nation’s football structure.
In 2009 the FMRF opened its national football academy, the Mohamed VI Football Academy – which helped develop current international players like Nayef Aguerd and Youssef En-Nesryi – as well as trying to unearth talent in the Moroccan diaspora by employing scouts from across Europe to flag any eligible youth players in Europe.
The federation also began investing in women’s football, developing football in schools and clubs as well as creating a national league structure.
Funded by the FMRF, findings showed Morocco is currently the only nation in the world to have two tiers of women’s football that are both fully professional.
The crown jewel of Morocco’s football investment is the Mohamed VI Football Complex just outside Rabat.
The training complex contains four five-star hotels, eight FIFA standard pitches – one of which is indoor in a climate-controlled building – as well a medical facility that includes a dentist.
“That investment over the last decade has begun to pay off,” Sky Sports’ Graeme Souness said on ITV.
He added, “Morocco’s success at the World Cup may be the best story of the tournament so far, but it is not the result of luck and grit, but rather expertise and planning”.
For the first time in history, Moroccan clubs are the holders of the men’s and women’s African Champions League titles as well the men’s Confederations Cup – Africa’s Europa League.
Morocco is also the African Nations Championship champion – a continental tournament where nations put out teams exclusively featuring players who play domestically – while the women’s team came second in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year and qualified for its first World Cup.
“Morocco is leading the way with the Talent Development Scheme, setting an example for others to follow,” Steven Martens, the technical director at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) says.
Read also: Argentina wallop Croatia 3-0 to reach World Cup final
Nicknamed the “Moroccan Guardiola”, Walid Regragui took over the reins of the Atlas Lions in September 2022 barely three months before the World Cup.
He took over a Moroccan squad in disarray by the actions of Vahid Halilhodzic, his processor, who ostracised a couple of top players from the team.
Regragui harmonised the team, called Ziyech back from his forced international retirement, and reproduced the tactical nous that helped him lead Wydad to the CAF CL.
“The guy who comes here to play three games in the World Cup and have fun can’t come with me. The message was spread around my team, and in my country. Then it reached the continent. Now, I think the world is with Morocco,” he said when asked about the journey from being a solitary dreamer to Pied Piper.
Football pundits say Morocco’s success marks a hugely significant moment in the history of African football, and one that was lauded by some of the continent’s biggest footballing stars.
“Historic and extraordinary! The qualification of the Atlas Lions for the semi-final of the 2022 world is that of all Africa. Full support to the representatives of Africa for the grand finale. Africa world champion, yes it is possible inchallah,” Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby said on Twitter.
Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tweeted: “No voice is louder than Morocco’s in the World Cup!”
