Morocco

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Team: Morocco

Morocco. Image retrieved from FIFA.com.

History and Path to Qualification:

Soccer has been the most popular sport in Morocco since the Europeans brought the sport to their country in the 19th century. The sport quickly gained momentum in the country, and an official national team was established in 1955. Along with soccer leagues and stadiums popping up throughout the country, the sports cafes began to take over. Around 90% of Moroccans will watch soccer games with the rest of their community at local sports cafes, a percentage that very few other countries can even compare to.[1]

The popularity of soccer lead to a very fast growing and successful national team. They first qualified for the 1970 World Cup, and then made history at the 1986 world cup by becoming the first African nation to advance to the knockout stage of a World Cup. That impressive result put them on the radar in the soccer world and reinforced the countries widespread passion for soccer. Morocco has qualified for 2 more world cups since, in 1994 and 1998.

Morocco has consistently had impressive showings in the Africa Cup of Nations, winning in 1976 and placing in the top 4 a total of 4 other times. With consistent international results Morocco have proved themselves to be among the most talented team in Africa. However, they have experienced a drought in world cup qualification, just barely missing the world cup multiple times but never once qualifying in the past 20 years.

This year that will change and Morocco will once again step foot on the world stage in Russia this summer. Their path to the world cup began in a rather difficult qualification group of Mali, Gabon, and the historical powerhouse Ivory Coast. They finished the group undefeated with a win and a draw versus each team. Although the whole campaign was impressive, the most impressive game was undoubtedly the 2-0 victory over Ivory Coast of which you can watch the highlights below.

Key Players and Manager:

Ajax midfielder Hakim Ziyech and Fenerbahce midfielder Nabil Dirar are the key players in this years Morocco team. They dominated midfield play in the qualifiers and they bring key European experience to the team. Ziyech had the choice to play for either the Netherlands or Morocco national team, and he chose Morocco in a controversial decision that got him called “stupid” by the Netherlands assistant manager.[2] His decision may have been due to him not getting called up to the Netherlands national team immediately, whereas in Morocco he would immediately become a star player. Ziyech dominated the midfield play for Ajax in the 16-17 season while scoring 10 goals, and he is on pace to beat that number in the 17-18 season. Dirar, at age 32, is one of the most experienced players on the Moroccan team, and he is considered a leader. He won the French Ligue 1 with Monaco in the 16-17 season and served as captain in a few of the matches. His leadership and experience in such high level games is essential for the young Moroccan team.

Achraf Hakimi is the young rising star on the Moroccan team, aged only 20 but already a consistent starter for European powerhouse team Real Madrid. He is a right back, but also plays at center back. He is an essential defensive presence on the team and his experience playing with the worlds best players on his club team gives him an experience that very few of his teammates will have.

However, the biggest asset to this Moroccan team is the manager, Herve Renard. Renard was a star in the French league during his years as a player, and since then has had successful managing positions for French team Lille and Ivory Coast. Renard spent 1 year at Ivory Coast and successfully ended their 23-year title drought by winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015. Renard is known for constantly pushing his teams to improve and play harder. He sets his goals astronomically high for this Morocco team and he brings a new intense tempo to the team. He has changed the Moroccan playstyle from slow to quick, and the success was immediately seen in the World Cup qualifiers.[3]

Fun Fact:

Morocco has submitted a bid to host the 2026 World Cup. The country plans to renovate 14 stadiums and spend $15.8 billion if they are selected to host the World Cup. Morocco has submitted 4 bids previously, in 1994, 1998, 2006, and 2010, but have narrowly missed the opportunity to host the World Cup. It would be the 2nd world cup ever hosted in Africa if their bid is successful, after South Africa in 2010. Morocco would be a beautiful host country, and there would be minimal travel times within the country. The infrastructure built for the World Cup would hugely benefit the local Moroccan soccer leagues post-World Cup. Morocco is up against an impressive joint-bid from Canada, USA, and Mexico, and FIFA will decide the host on June 13th this summer.[4]

Odds to Advance:

Morocco landed in World Cup Group B with Iran, Portugal, and Spain. Spain and Portugal are the obvious two star teams in this group. Spain is one of the favorites to win the tournament and they have world class players at every position on the field. Portugal are a slightly less frightening team to play, but the presence of the most complete striker in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, makes the team twice as dangerous. Iran just qualified for their second world cup in a row, and after an impressive performance in Brazil in 2014 they are looking to make a name for themselves. Morocco will need to play solid soccer without any mistakes to stand a chance against the powerful Spain team. Achraf Hakimi will be the key in the Portugal game. Hakimi plays and practices with Cristiano Ronaldo every day at Real Madrid, and Hakimi will be Morocco’s best chance to shut down the prolific striker. The Iran match is expected to be more even, but Iran’s team is still very dangerous, and they have had very impressive results in the months leading up to the world cup. My prediction for this Morocco team is 3rd place in the group, with a loss to Spain and Portugal, and a win over Iran.

 

Written by Jack Bloomfeld

 

How to Cite this Article:

“2018 World Cup Underdogs: Morocco,” Written by Jack Bloomfeld (2018). World Cup 2018 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/mens-world-cup-2018-guide/2018-world-cup-underdogs/morocco/ (accessed on (date)).

 

Citations:

  1. Qasserras, Mohammed. “Football Culture in Morocco: Moroccan Zealotry or Moroccan Exeptionalism?” Morocco World News, 10 Feb. 2012, www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/02/26179/football-culture-in-morocco-moroccan-zealotry-or-moroccan-exeptionalism/.
  2. Igrouane, Youssef. “Van Basten Says Hakim Ziyech Was Wrong to Choose Morocco.” Morocco World News, 16 Jan. 2017, www.moroccoworldnews.com/2017/01/205946/van-basten-says-hakim-ziyech-was-wrong-to-choose-morocco/.
  3. Koundouno, Tamba François. “’We Still Need To Improve’: Hervé Renard.” Morocco World News, 27 Mar. 2018, www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/03/243252/still-need-improve-herve-renard/.
  4. “Morocco Plans to Spend $15.8 Billion If It Gets 2026 Soccer World Cup.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 17 Mar. 2018, www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-worldcup-morocco/morocco-plans-to-spend-15-8-billion-if-it-gets-2026-soccer-world-cup-idUSKCN1GT0OE.

 

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