Qatar 2022 World Cup
Morocco are one step away from a good place in the World Cup final, with their coach Walid Regragui embracing “crazy” ahead of their semi-final match with defending champions France.
Their success in Qatar and being the first African team to reach this stage, has surprised many, especially after the coach who led the Atlas Lions in the championship was fired in August.
It is said to be one of the worst performing teams in North African football, with their only continental title coming in 1976. Morocco’s 2-0 win over Belgium in their second Group F game was their first World Cup victory since 1998 – and they have failed to qualify for four consecutive competitions.
14 of Morocco’s 26-man squad were born abroad – more than any other team at the tournament – with a mix of players from Europe’s growing immigrant communities helping them make a fresh start.
A key change for the team came just three months before the finals when Vahid Halilhodzic was sacked as coach and replaced by Regragui, who won the domestic league and African Champions League titles with Wydad Casablanca last season.
The changes have helped calm the tension in the squad, with Chelsea’s winger, Hakim Ziyech coming out of international retirement, while the improvement of the players on the field also surprised many.
Morocco have received loud support at the first World Cup held in the Arab world and their fans will be joined by their counterparts who will be flown by Royal Air Maroc Casablanca to Doha on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Estimates of the fluctuating number of Moroccan fans in Qatar range from 20,000 to 40,000.
The players have become heroes amid happy victory celebrations across North Africa, and for the diaspora in Europe, – an example of Achraf Hakimi kissing his mother after the victory and winger Sofiane Boufal playing with his wife on the field after beating Portugal in the quarter-finals.
The team has also shown their Islamic beliefs, bowing in sujud (prostration) in front of their fans after advancing to the knockout round.
But who is in the squad aiming to stun France – former colonial powers from whom Morocco gained independence in 1956 – at the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday (19:00 GMT)?
Bono and Maldini of Morocco – Their Defense Line
Defensive strength has been a key factor, having conceded just one goal in eight games under Regragui – an own goal in the win over Canada.
Right-back Hakimi is undoubtedly the star of the squad and is no stranger to Europe’s top clubs, having played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan – having already played for all of them at the age of 24.
He has had to tone down his attacking flair somewhat, but the Paris St-Germain star showed his anger and flair with his Panenka-style penalty that completed the last-16 victory over Spain.
Captain Romain Saiss, dubbed the ‘Moroccan Maldini’ by former Wolves coach Bruno Lage, and West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd have been strong at centre-back, but both suffered injury problems against France, Jawad El Yamiq and Badr Benoun can be called to take their place.
The 30-year-old El Yamiq, who now plays for Spain’s Real Valladolid after playing for Italy, was part of Morocco’s squad that won the African Nations Championship, a tournament for domestic players, in 2018 while the 6’3 Benoun was given nicknamed ‘Sultan’ by his Al Ahly teammates before moving from the Egyptian giants to the Qatari club this year.
With Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui ruled out of the quarter-finals through injury, Yahya Attith-Allah – one of three players in the squad from Regragui’s former club Wydad – has come in and looked comfortable despite making his international debut in March.
Once you get past the tightest defense, you’ll have to find a way past Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, a Canadian born known as Bono.
Returning to Russia four years ago, the 31-year-old won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020 and won the Zamora trophy last season for being the best goalkeeper in Spain’s La Liga.
“When you have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, it gives you confidence, and Yassine gives us that,” said Regragui after his team beat Portugal.
“He helped us a lot and when he’s in the game, we’re definitely unstoppable.”
‘Where is this boy from?’- the eager midfielder
Sofyan Amrabat has been one of the best players to help Morocco qualify for the last four, with his tireless tackling providing a solid wall for Morocco’s defence.
The younger brother of former Watford winger Nordin, who he replaced in one game in the 2018 finals, Dutch-born Sofyan represented the Netherlands at under-15 level and has improved for Fiorentina this season.
Alongside him in midfield is Azzedine Ounahi – one of four players in the squad who come from Mohammed VI College – whose box-to-box play is attracting the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
“My God, where does that young man come from?” asked Spain coach Luis Enrique after being eliminated in the round of 16 on penalties.
“He plays like the Spanish players. He hasn’t stopped running, he must be tired.”
Playing for lower division club Angers in France, the technical but 22-year-old made his international debut in January and scored twice in a World Cup qualifier win over DR Congo two months later and help Morocco qualify.
“The phone is ringing? It’s ringing a lot,” Angers chairman Said Chabane told France’s RMC of Ounahi’s interest in compatriot Boufal, who has also started every match in Qatar.
Meanwhile, playmaker Selim Amallah, once coveted by former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez, has also attracted interest despite not having played a club game since September due to contract tensions with Standard Liege.
Like Giroud for France – He uses power in attack
Youssef En-Nesyri leads the attack line, despite not scoring against Sevilla this season in La Liga, the 25-year-old player has his place in the Moroccan World Cup history books.
His goals against Canada and Portugal have made him his country’s all-time top scorer in those finals with three goals, having also scored goals in the group stage match against Spain in 2018.
“I’ve always believed in Youssef because he gives a lot of energy,” Regragui said.
“Any coach would like him in his team because he works hard for the team, like (Olivier) Giroud of France.”
Ziyech is well-known since his time with Ajax and Chelsea, but Regragui has got the best out of a player whose club game has been mixed.
The 29-year-old player was in the international wilderness between June 2021 and September this year after a public disagreement with coach Halilhodzic, but now his eight appearances in World Cup finals is a joint national record with Hakimi.
Boufal, one of two Moroccan players born in France (Saiss being the other), has returned to his international best at Angers, after scoring just three goals in 70 Premier League appearances in a four-year spell at Southampton that ended in 2020.
He is among the five players of the squad who play in the French league 1, along with Zakaria Aboukhlal (Toulouse), Achraf Dari (Brest), Hakimki and Ounahi.
Hakimi’s intimate knowledge of France star Kylian Mbappe, PSG’s team-mate in Paris, will be key if Morocco can pull off what could arguably be the biggest World Cup upset in its history.
“We are not satisfied with the semi-finals and being the first African team to do so. We want to go further,” Regragui said.
Share this news
This Year’s Most Read News Stories
High Court rejects Transworld’s application
The High Court in Dar es Salaam has struck out an application in which Transworld Aviation, a ground handler at the Abeid Aman Karume International Airport (AAKIA) was seeking permission to sue the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).Continue Reading
Zanzibar Airport Authority to audit ground handlers
Unguja. The Zanzibar Airports Authority (ZAA) is set to conduct an audit on ground handling companies that currently operate at the Abeid Amani Karume Airport with effect from Monday. The week-long audit is set to include Transworld, ZAT and the newcomer Dnata Zanzibar who were licensed in June plus exclusive rights to manage Terminal 3 building by ZAA.Continue Reading
Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
