‘We want the cup' - Morocco celebrates the impossible
'There is no such thing as impossible in soccer, that's the magic of this sport'
As their national soccer team made history, crowds gathered in Morocco’s commercial hub Casablanca on Saturday evening chanting "Qualified! Qualified!"
Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 in Qatar to become the first African or Arab team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
"My heart will stop, what a team, what stamina, what an achievement," said Casablance woman Ilham El Idrissi. She was not alone in hailing the team known as the Atlas Lions.
"I think I am dreaming awake. Pinch me! What a huge pride. I thank them from the bottom of my heart," said Mouad Khairat. "The Moroccan team has managed to do the impossible. We want the cup now."
The collective celebrations that greeted the final whistle are becoming a habit across the kingdom. Morocco topped their group, beating Canada and Belgium, then eliminated Spain on penalties in the round of 16 before overcoming Portugal.
"There is no such thing as impossible in soccer, that's the magic of this sport,” former Moroccan soccer player Abderrazak Khairi said. Khairi scored twice in the surprise victory over the same opponents, Portugal, in the 1986 World Cup, when Morocco became the first African nation to reach the knockout rounds.
No African or Arab country had managed to go beyond the quarter-finals. Beyond the borders of the kingdom, the Moroccan team has been cheered in the African continent and the Arab world.
After the victory over Spain, in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, there were celebrations in Oman, Libya, Somalia, and even Gaza. And in some European cities, such as Belgium's Brussels and France's Lille, Morocco's more rowdy supporters ended up clashing with local police.