Morocco's Historic Run & Journey in the 2022 World Cup

Morocco broke new ground for North African football by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In the group phase, they stunned pre-tournament favourite Belgium 2-0, then edged past Spain on penalties before adding the scalp of Portugal in the quarter-finals. After 36 years, we are making history again and we have celebrated it. We have been very happy, dancing and celebrating in the locker room. These days have been unforgettable and indescribable. France proved too strong in the semis, but there was jubilation amongst the travelling support for the team's history-making. It's more than a dream. It's incredible. It's national pride. It is historic what we are doing for our football and the lessons that we are giving ourselves. We are not seeing life as before. This changed our mindset. We are hanging from the lips of our coach. We can make it. We might not have the same chances in the game. We might not have the same infrastructure as the other teams. We might not have any hope to make it. But with a lot of heart and a lot of blessing, we will. Qatar 2022 extended Morocco's pioneering legacy for African football. In 1970, they became the first team from the continent to earn a point, when they drew one all with Bulgaria. Then, at Mexico 86, they became the first African side to reach the round of 16. The first African nation to win their match at the World Cup was Tunisia, when they beat Mexico 3-1 in 1978. The Eagles of Carthage grew into an established international side during the 1970s. But it would not be until 2004 that they would have anything to show for it. On home soil, Tunisia won their only Africa Cup of Nations to date, defeating heavyweights Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal en route to the title. The victory made coach Roger Lemaire the first in world football to win the continental championship in two confederations, after previously leading France to glory at Euro 2000. Algeria are enjoying the fruits of a golden generation, led by the outstanding Riyad Mahrez. The highlight so far came in 2019, when they secured only the second AFCON title in their history, and on Egyptian soil. Getting to the heart of it, we're African champions after 29 years. It's unbelievable, especially to be African champions away from our own country. The last one was in Algeria in 1990. African champions away is extraordinary. Prior to this, Algeria's greatest legacy on the biggest stage was being the victims of what became known as the Disgrace of Gijon. At the 1982 World Cup, the Fenix caused one of the great upsets with a 2-1 victory over reigning European champions West Germany. By the final match in the group between West Germany and Austria, with Algeria having already played their final group game the day before, the European teams knew that a West German win by one or two goals would qualify them both. After 10 minutes of all-out attack, West Germany scored. Then immediately afterwards, the two teams declined to attack for the rest of the match. Algeria protested to FIFA, who ruled that the result be allowed to stand, then later introduced a revised system in which the final two games in each group had to be played simultaneously. Egypt are an enigma of international football. They are record seven-time AFCON champions, but have only appeared at three World Cups and have yet to win a match on the game's greatest stage. Boasting English Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Mahmoud, the future looks bright. But those two individuals are outliers, with the vast majority of Egyptian internationals plying their trade in the domestic league. While this is a testament to the strength of the local competition, it is arguably holding back the pharaohs as a World Cup contending football nation.