World Cup: Morocco 'aim for the sky' after fairytale run in Qatar

DOHA – Morocco coach Walid Regragui said the Atlas Lions are ready to “aim for the sky” after reaching the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in 36 years on Thursday.

The North Africans sealed their passage into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Canada thanks to goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri which saw them finish ahead of Croatia on top of Group F. They next face 2010 champions Spain on Tuesday.

In Qatar, where the home team along with Saudi Arabia and Tunisia have exited, Morocco now carries the mantle for an Arab world that has cheered victories by Arab teams against some of the tournament favourites.

Regragui said his team’s performance in the first phase was down to a determination to “change the mindset” of Morocco’s national team, who had not advanced to the knockout rounds since the 1986 edition prior to arriving in Qatar.

Now France-born former Morocco international Regragui says the team are dreaming of going further than the last 16 – even winning the tournament.

“We set ourselves an objective – we said we wanted to give everything we’ve got and get out of the group stages. We can tick that box now,” he said.

“So why not aim for the sky? We needed to change and we needed to change our mentality. We’re not going to stop here. We’re going to respect every opponent. But we are going to be very difficult opponents. So why not dream about lifting that trophy?

“We know that African teams need to set themselves objectives. We drew with Croatia. We beat Belgium. We beat Canada. We’re realistic, but we know what we’re worth. We’ll take it one game at a time... But if we’re 100 per cent and fighting fit, we’re capable of great things.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi wept after the match. “I didn’t think about it, but now I realise we made history,” he said. “We work very hard and we deserve it.”

According to opinion polls, a fifth of Moroccans believe their team will reach the semi-final, and national carrier Royal Air Maroc has put on special flights to ferry fans back and forth from Qatar.

On Thursday, the iconic Avenue Mohammed V through central Rabat thronged with supporters wrapped in the country’s red flag with its green star, setting off firecrackers as drivers honked their horns. Cafes were packed and even banks closed early to allow people to watch the match.

Mohamed Tahiri, a lawyer out celebrating in Rabat, said Morocco was the only team left for Arabs to identify with.

“This is a day of celebration not only for us Moroccans but for all Arabs and for all the Amazigh North Africans too,” he added.

Regragui, who only took over as Morocco coach in August after the dismissal of predecessor Vahid Halilhodzic, said he had been determined to model their mental approach on European and South American teams.

“Right from the beginning I have been talking about changing our mindset,” he said. “We didn’t come here just to play and say, ‘We almost qualified (for the last 16)’.

“We want to play our own game, but we also need to get the results and do as all European or South American teams do. We need to emulate them. I don’t see any teams here that have just come to play. They come with a plan.

“So there is the mentality change. We didn’t want to fall prey to this negativity. The idea is to stay strong. We need to duplicate the play of European teams, with our own values. That’s what I tried to do today.” AFP, REUTERS