Morocco is widely remembered for its vibrant and rich culture, not to mention the incredible landscapes such as the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. Despite not being remembered for its sporting successes, its sporting scene often goes under the radar. One of the greatest sporting achievements in Morocco’s history was in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Although they didn’t win the competition, they defied expectations, from being expected to exit the competition early to beating world giants. Football results can’t be predicted, just as online slots, but it is a form of entertainment popular with many.
Morocco’s Footballing History
Morocco has not always been a competitive team in national football, with only 7 FIFA World Cup qualifications in their history, including the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Prior to the 2022 World Cup, Morocco’s best finish in the tournament was reaching the Round of 16, where West Germany beat them. Despite losing in the first round of the knockouts, Morocco made history this year, becoming the first African team to reach the knockout rounds and topping the group.
Despite never winning the World Cup, Morocco has found success in other competitions. In 1976, Morocco won the Africa Cup of Nations, the continent’s biggest and best trophy. Their triumph came at the 10th edition of the tournament, held in Ethiopia. The tournament featured a single-round-robin format, with two groups of 4 teams each. The two top teams from each group would advance to the finals, forming another group with a single-round robin format. Morocco was the winner of the finals, having won 2 games and drawn 1, earning 5 points.
A Truly Unique Tournament
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was one like no other, creating history long before the whistle blew to commence the games. The tournament was hosted in Qatar, making it the first World Cup in the Middle East. To add to this, due to the incredible heat during the summer months, the competition was held in the winter, becoming the first ever to do so. To add to the history, the 22nd edition of the World Cup was significant, as it was the last ever tournament with 32 participating teams, a format that had lasted since 1998.
The Challenging Group Stage Draw
Their group stage draw was unfortunate, placing them against some of the highest-ranked national teams in the world, with two teams in particular being stacked with elite talent. The two teams tipped to qualify past the group stage were Croatia and Belgium, whilst many expected Belgium and Canada to face early exits.
Croatia entered the competition hoping to repeat their success at the previous tournament, where they reached the finals. With experienced players such as Modric, Kovacic, and Brozovic standing in the midfield, and young talents such as Gvardiol and Livakovic guarding the goal, Croatia looked strong.
Belgium also had an ulterior motive for success, as it was its last chance to win a trophy during the twilight of the “golden age”. Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard were the ones to watch in the Belgium squad, both putting up world-class performances at their club levels over the years.
Despite lining up against some of the world’s best, Morocco topped the group, finishing above Croatia, sending Belgium and Canada home.
Round of 16
After topping Group F, Morocco would face the second-place finisher in Group E, which, unfortunately, was Spain. The previous World Cup winners emerged as the favourites for the tie, and one of the names believed to make a deep run in the tournament, though they would have to beat Morocco first.
After 90 minutes, the scores were even, prompting an extra 30 minutes of play in extra time. With the stakes at the highest, both teams were afraid to over-commit bodies and be left exposed, which, as a result, took the game to penalties.
Morocco breezed through the penalty shootout, beating Spain 3-0.
Making African History
In the quarterfinals, Morocco would face Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was looking to complete his illustrious career by winning the only trophy left to conquer. In the previous round, Portugal breezed past Switzerland, winning their tie 6-1.
In the tie, Portugal dominated possession, making nearly 300 more passes than Morocco. Despite this, Morocco’s structure was unbreakable, and in the 42nd minute, En-Nesyri opened the scoring. In the second half, Morocco defended strongly, and the scores ended 1-0, advancing Morocco to the semi-final. This achievement marked the first time an African team reached the World Cup semi-finals.
The Unfortunate End
The semi-finals would take place on the 14th of December, giving Morocco 4 days to prepare to face the 2018 winners, France. The reigning champions were widely tipped to win the tournament, with a team full of world-class talent, including Mbappe, Dembele, and Griezmann lining up in the attack.
Unfortunately, the incredible story would come to an end for Morocco in the semi-final, conceding in the 5th minute, which dampened the spirits. In the 79th minute, Morocco were pushing for a goal, which ultimately led to France doubling the lead. The scores ended 2-0, putting an end to the incredible story.
