It was, in many ways, a tournament which had everything right up to the ultimate conclusion.
Of course, while there could only be one world champion, there were also other World Cup 2022 winners, not least the nation which finished fourth and wrote a new chapter in the history books along the way.
I now wish I knew what the pre-tournament SBOTOP World Cup 2022 betting odds had been on Morocco because I genuinely do not believe anyone expected them to make such an impact at Qatar 2022.
Certainly, the Atlas Lions were never going to be anyone’s fools but such a success story didn’t just defy expectations, it totally blew them out of the water!
While a few pundits mentioned them as a potential dark horse to do well, most ignored them, especially given that they shared a group with Belgium and Croatia. Few things are as satisfying as proving doubters wrong, especially after so many decades when they were proved right.
Even then, plenty of pundits and fans suspected Morocco had reached their high watermark with a group-stage victory over Belgium.
Yet they continued to raise the bar, squeezing the life out of Spain before progressing from the last 16 on penalties and they were similarly obdurate and dangerous on the counter-attack when winning their quarter-final against Portugal.
Let us begin with someone who, for me, is the undoubted coach of the tournament. Walid Regragui. He had precious little time to prepare after Vahid Halilhodžić’s sacking in August yet organised Morocco so well and generated so much team spirit, especially with the masterstroke of inviting players’ families into the hotel. The end result was a triumph which brought joy to spectators around the world in the form of Moroccan matriarchs who have become the unofficial champions of the 2022 World Cup.
Their finest hour was, of course, the historic achievement when Regragui’s men became the first African team to reach the semi-finals with victory over 2016 European champions Portugal.
The sight of Sofiane Boufal dancing on the pitch side with his mother after that win was pretty special too.
Videos of the forward dancing with his mum – “she was crying, the emotions make you crazy” – and the Paris St-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi’s mum giving him a kiss on the cheek after his winning penalty against Spain in the last 16 garnered global adulation and proved that World Cup 2022 highlights were not just confined to the pitch.
After that quarter-final triumph, chants of “Olé, olé, olé” and the explosions of fireworks could be heard; traffic came to a standstill and even sub-zero temperatures could not stop ecstatic fans from taking to the streets to dance and sing.
It meant that much to so many.
Like Boufal, Hakimi was one of their many heroes.
He is already an established star of course but, at right-back, he encapsulated Morocco’s energy; a class operator in both directions who affected matches consistently and was an inspirational leader.
Then there was the superb all-action Sofyan Amrabat who, along with Azzedine Ounahi, were quite the presence.
After the last-16 victory over Spain, the Spanish manager Luis Enrique was moved to exclaim “Mama mia, where did your No 8 come from?” as he acknowledged the brilliance of both players.
Amrabat was immense, a rock of dependency in front of his team’s defence, breaking up play and linking brilliantly with the team’s more creative players.
Boufal and Ounahi are actually in the middle of a Ligue 1 relegation battle with their club side, Angers – after the past month it is hard to see how their club will be able to keep hold of one, or perhaps both, once the January transfer window opens.
That Ambabat was the stand-out midfielder in the tournament (to my mind) with Ounahi the breakout star were developments no one could have predicted, nor how far the Atlas Lions would progress.
While individuals have been singled out, the entire team far exceeded expectations and from Ladbroke Grove to the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem to Baghdad, Morocco’s World Cup was a collective cause to celebrate for the African, Arab and Amazigh diaspora.
Eight of the players who finished the quarter-final were those who grew up in Morocco and learned their football in the country’s academies and clubs.
Morocco arrived home earlier today to a hero’s welcome and Veron Mosengo-Omba, the general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), believes more investment and resources must now be made available for other countries to match the achievement by the North Africans.
So perhaps we have just witnessed the start of what the Moroccan class of 2022 has provided.
Regragui has certainly intimated he’d like to stick around for the long haul so the portents are good.
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