Tens of 1000’s of excited Moroccans welcomed the nationwide soccer workforce dwelling Tuesday after they achieved nice success within the World Cup in Qatar.
Fans packed squares and lined up alongside avenues and streets in and round Rabat, lighting flares, waving flags, dancing to the beat of drums, and cheering as an open-top bus carrying the swimsuit and tie-clad gamers rolled into the capital with a heavy police escort.
Smiling gamers and coach Walid Regragui waved, blew kisses to their ecstatic followers, and snapped selfies towards the backdrop of undulating crowds and swinging palm springs.
At some factors alongside the parade route, the crowds spilled from sidewalks onto a four-lane freeway carrying the bus. slowing down the car because it traveled to the royal palace the place King Mohammed VI was ready to obtain the gamers to “rejoice their nice and historic accomplishment.”
As the primary African or Arab workforce to succeed in the World Cup semifinals, the Moroccan workforce, often known as the Atlas Lions, made historical past and was one of many massive success tales of the match, the primary hosted by an Arab nation.
After the workforce beat former European colonial powers Belgium, Spain and Portugal, it misplaced to France within the semifinals. Its record-setting efficiency led to the gamers receiving a hero’s welcome.
“Morocco’s run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be remembered in the history books as one of the most exciting campaigns since the tournament’s inception,” café owner Reda Ghazi, 27, told The Associated Press (AP). “It was the dream of each Moroccan to win one thing, particularly as a result of Morocco is a rustic the place the eagerness for soccer is overwhelming.”
Morocco completed fourth within the competitors after shedding to Croatia 1-2 within the third-place play-off on Saturday, exceeding the expectations of most Moroccans.
“I still can’t wrap my head around what happened in this World Cup,” added student Anour El Berkaoui, 23. “The workforce has now set the bar so excessive that we gained’t be pleased with something lower than profitable the upcoming African Cup of Nations.”
The Moroccan workforce charmed many Arab soccer followers who noticed within the workforce a mirrored image of themselves. Players waved the Palestinian flag after their wins and celebrated on the sphere with their moms and kids.
The workforce additionally galvanized assist throughout Africa.
“As an African workforce, we broke lots of information and made the entire continent proud,” Rabat resident Omar Zorgane stated.
“Morocco as an entire will achieve loads from this yr’s World Cup, from tourism to getting the eye of different nations to presumably internet hosting one of many greatest tournaments on this planet sooner or later,” he stated.
