A paltry World Cup playoff? Moroccans think otherwise. | Qatar World Cup 2022 news

[ad_1]

DOHA, Qatar – It’s the first of a trio of superstars on the penultimate day of the 2022 World Cup, a day when the world, football fans and those plotting moves there are not expected to be among the claimants.

Messi and Mbappe can wait. Morocco will take pole position on Saturday, hoping to finish the fantastical race in Qatar with unprecedented feats.

Morocco will meet Croatia at Khalifa International Stadium in the match for third place in Qatar 2022.

Croatia failed to match their match in 2018, or better, losing in the final to France.

Meanwhile, Morocco has reached unprecedented heights, winning millions of hearts and gaining a following more quickly than a new popular Instagram sensation in the historic race to the Final Four.

For a team not used to winning often, especially in a World Cup, the spectacle of bringing down Belgium, Canada, Spain and Portugal gave its followers hope.

Moroccan players were disappointed after losing to France in the semi-finals [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Since its victory over Belgium, Morocco has been hoping to reach the last 16. Expectations increased when they beat Spain. Imagination gave way to belief after his victory over Portugal. For a team that, at first, upset its opponents, then upset them, finally left them in a panic, gaining momentum like rolling down a hill as they eyed the final.

Until they encountered France. At Al-Bayt Stadium, on Wednesday, the dream did not come true in the way Morocco wanted, perhaps due to the introduction of a new football, the occasion, or just a difference in skills between the two groups of players.

Despite the heartbreak, Morocco fans are hoping for a victorious end to the World Cup, one that was already the extension of a lifetime dream.

Omar, who is visiting Doha from Casablanca to participate in the World Cup, told Al-Jazeera: “Whatever happens now,” it will not detract from what they did, they made history.

“He. She [the World Cup campaign] It started with Croatia, and it will end with Croatia. I hope we beat them this time [the group stage match ended 0-0]. Hope we finish well. But whatever happens, we are very proud of the team; We fully support and support them.”

Morocco fans enjoyed every minute of their team’s display at Qatar 2022 [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

A French professional on the pitch ensured that the Atlas Lions would not finish third in the World Cup. But they could finish in third place, a last place many could have imagined at the start of the tournament for the 22nd seeded team.

“The win is important. The team didn’t reach the final but they won’t give up,” said Amine, who is also visiting Qatar from Morocco. “The team’s performance changed mentalities everywhere. There is a winning mentality now and it’s refreshing to see that. A win on Saturday would make a huge difference back home.”

For Imane, a Moroccan living in Paris, Saturday’s victory “carries a lot of meaning.”

“It may not seem like much, but getting third place is actually important to us and it carries a lot of meaning because it shows that Morocco’s World Cup trip, as historic as it was, was not just luck but the result of the players’ effort and the faith of the supporters,” she said. .

“It concerns me,” said Elham, a Moroccan national residing in Qatar. “I want to see them win third place. They deserve it. They made us very happy and I want them to be happy.”

For some, the loss to France failed to take the shine off Morocco’s run to the quarter-finals as they became the first team from Africa to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.

“This is football, that’s how it goes,” said Fatima, a Moroccan fan, after losing 2-0 on Wednesday. “But we are really proud of the team. Moroccan football has completely changed now. This is not a loss, by any means. We are the champions.”

Moroccan fans celebrate in the stands [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]

Yasmina, who is based in Qatar from Morocco, thinks winning the third place will be “amazing and honourable”.

“We really won a lot during the World Cup: pride, unity, solidarity and momentum,” she said.

“But I think the pressure is less and the pressure is much less on Saturday. I hope Morocco beats Croatia, but no matter what happens, they are my champions.”

With the amount of football, competitions, and other events in life, most tend to forget the winners of the World Cup finals, let alone the team that finishes third. Losing a semi-final is shattering enough, but putting away the memories and preparing for another match, which won’t allow you to recapture your dreams, can be mind and body demanding.

But for the Moroccan fans, a victory on Saturday would be the year-end reward that no one asked of their bosses.

[ad_2]