A difficult night for Moroccan fans, full of pride

First modification: 12/15/2022 – 09:52

By Nadia Ben Mahfoudh, RFI correspondent in Casablanca

“It has been one of the worst nights of my life,” declared one of the fans who came to watch the game at Belle d’Anfa, a Casablanca café. The Moroccans believed in their team, they imagined beating France and going to the final, but very soon, at minute 5′, Theo Hernández opened the scoring for France. The faces closed then, some tears even ran down the cheeks of some. Others couldn’t sit still and left their seats to avoid seeing their struggling players.

Seeing a French goal early in the game was the worst possible scenario for the Moroccans. But the fans did not give up on their Lions. In this cafe, the people of Casablanca continued to cheer on each action and each rise of their team, but the second goal ended them. They knew it was over, that there was nothing more to do. Many go home before the final whistle. They are disgusted. It’s unbearable to watch France subject their players to such a severe test.

Digest the defeat before thinking about third place

They were used to big parties after the games… this time the reactions were rather mixed. Many could not digest the defeat and preferred to go home. As if that were not enough, the rain made an appearance, which did not help to raise the morale of the fans. They were still unable to think about the “little final” that was coming. It is scheduled to take place on Saturday December 17 against Croatia, but at the moment it seems a long way off. They must first digest their elimination.

Others wanted to pay tribute to the achievement of the Atlas Lions. There were scenes of joy, horns, shouts, songs, some drums, even fireworks were launched. The festivities did not last long. If normally in Casablanca the party can last until the wee hours of the morning, around midnight, the streets were empty.

proud despite everything

But it is clear that the Moroccans are proud of their team’s achievement. They are aware that this is an achievement for the African country. Nobody could have imagined at the beginning of this World Cup that the Moroccan team could reach the semifinals. Moroccan fans were surprised even at the beginning of the competition to see the first victories.

Therefore, they are very proud to have carried the colors of Morocco so far, and they are also happy to be the first African and Arab team to get past the quarter-finals. It is something unprecedented, and they have not forgotten it despite the defeat. The Moroccans have strengthened their confidence in the last three weeks. For them, they have shown the whole world that football can also be carried by an African team.

This pride was expressed by the king himself. Mohammed VI called the coach Walid Regragui and the captain Romain Saiss. He thanked them “for having honored the Moroccan people.”