Qatar 2022: the Lions in a World Cup semi-final

Morocco became the first African side, and the first Arab side, to reach a World Cup semi-final.

First African team, first Arab team at that stage.

In December 2022, in Qatar, the Atlas Lions did what no African team had done. After knocking out Spain, then Portugal, Morocco played a World Cup semi-final, against France, on 14 December.

The semi-final was lost, 2–0. The country had already changed its place in football’s history. First African team, first Arab team at that stage. The third-place match would follow. Memory often stops on the night before.

There were the players, of course, and Walid Regragui on the bench. There were also the squares, from Doha to Brussels, from Casablanca to Montreal, where the same green shirt stood up at the same time. A diaspora that did not need the score explained.

This house keeps that piece of news because it made people proud without inventing anything. The scoreboard was already large enough.

Source note. 2022 World Cup, semi-final France–Morocco, 14 December 2022.