Morocco’s exceptional performance at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar saw many names appear on the Lions of Atlas roster, contributing greatly to the most outstanding Arab and African achievement – to date – in the competition’s history. , and what caught the attention of observers was the origin of the Moroccan players, some of whom do not speak Arabic; But they cling to their Arabism and Moroccanism.
Many stakeholders believe that Morocco’s unexpected success at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and its advance to the semi-finals against defending champions France is partly due to a policy based on using migrant talent to strengthen the ranks of the national team, and give these players the opportunity to Shine and succeed.
Fourteen of the 26 players in the current Moroccan national football team were born outside of Morocco, the most of any team in the current competition, giving vital diversity to the roster given the variety of places where these players grew up. And after an unexpected 1-0 victory over Portugal in the quarter-finals – yesterday, Saturday – Morocco became the first Arab and African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup final.
Canadian-born goalkeeper Yassin Bono conceded only once, while Madrid-born Ashraf Hakimi shone from the right. Sofjan Amrabat, born in the Netherlands, is a big force in midfield, while opponents are afraid of Sofjan Boufal, born in France, who plays on the left.
