Morocco’s Qatar 2022 hero Walid Regragui must be at the peak of his coaching prowess if the Maghreb nation are to etch their name in history books as the first African country and Arabic speaking nation with a Muslim majority are to qualify for the World Cup final. The former Wydad Casablanca boss is without injured first choice defenders Noussair Mazraoui, Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saiss when the 1976 African champions clash with former colonial masters France for the right to face Argentina in Sunday’s final.
The Atlas Lions are the toast of the continent after their march to the semifinal guaranteed Africa an extra place at the USA/Mexico 2026 event. At the expanded 48 nation World Cup, the continent is to be represented by ten countries, up from five at this year’s global showpiece. It’s a reward for a relentless upward trajectory that saw Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana all reach the World Cup quarter finals in the last 32 years and a far cry from Zaire’s (DR Congo) 0-9 capitulation at the hands of the former Yugoslavia in 1974.
Moroccan football is enjoying a renaissance after years in the wilderness, with their clubs dominance of continental competitions reflected in the presence of 14 locally based players in their 26-man World Cup squad. Wydad Casablanca are the reigning CAF Champions League winners, having won Africa’s premier club competition under Regragui’s tutelage. Another Moroccan club, Berkane, are the CAF Confederations Cup winners whereas the country’s top women’s side ASFAR lifted the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League title.
Regragui will be unperturbed by his side’s inferior head to head record with France. In twelve previous meetings, the Atlas Lions have only beaten Les Bleus once, and that was way back in 1963. The world champions have won four of those encounters whereas five matchups were draws. But having masterminded his side’s victories over Belgium, Spain and Portugal, the Paris born coach believes his charges have an equally good chance of upsetting a country he refers to as his second home.
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There is certain to be a derby atmosphere in the semifinal at the 60,000 seat Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor given that three quarters of a million Moroccans, including Regragui’s mother are resident in France. A key to a positive outcome for the North Africans is a good display in the direct confrontation between Atlas Lions defensive lynchpin Achraf Hakimi and five-goal Paris Saint Germain superstar team mate Kylian Lottin Mbappe.
