Three days after their victory against Belgium, Morocco won their match against Canada on Thursday, December 1, who finished last in group F.
From our special envoy to Qatar,
While Morocco had been waiting for a qualification for the second round since 1986, the Atlas Lions even paid themselves the luxury of climbing to the top of their group. If the second period of the Moroccans was not as flamboyant as the first, they remained a long time on the lawn at the final whistle to commune with the public of the Al Thumama stadiumwho gave voice throughout the game, for this first World Cup in an Arab country.
” The Moroccan people can be proud of their team »
For the first time since the start of the World Cup, the Atlas Lions were announced favorites, and they did not tremble against the Canadians. ” The opponent was all fired up for the first ten minutes. We fought and we showed resilience. We knew it would be complicated. Morocco are a fantastic team with players who play in the Premier League. The Moroccan people can be proud of their team “, admits the Canadian coach John Herdman who considers in passing the Moroccan rear Achraf Hakimi as a fighter.
” When you have the opportunity to enter history, you should not miss it. We had the pressure, the stress. We fought to snatch our second victory in a row in this World “, says Walid Regragui, the coach of the Atlas Lions.
A childhood dream for Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi talks about a close-knit family with a new generation that wants to do great things. ” I am proud to represent Morocco “says the Paris Saint-Germain player, visibly moved, who was crying after the meeting. “ Representing Morocco is a childhood dream. I saw my family, all those who support me and it was moving. I’m glad I was able to enjoy this moment “, he admits.
“ We did not come to make up the numbers. I wanted us to change our state of mind. We want to be like the other big teams. We also wanted to have a plan for this group stage. I know we still have work to do. We are going to play Moroccan games with European sauce concludes Walid Regragui.