Morocco’s goals of reaching the World Cup last have been dashed after a 2-0 loss to France within the final 4.
After reaching the semifinals of the world’s most prestigious occasion – the primary time in historical past for an African or Arab-majority nation – the Atlas Lions have been in the end introduced down by the mighty France on Wednesday.
“We’re just a little upset, I received’t lie,” Hassan Chadilly, from Casablanca, informed Al Jazeera at Al Bayt Stadium.
“After we saved profitable the knockout video games we had a variety of hope. Sadly we couldn’t do it once more”.
Nonetheless, Chadily mentioned Moroccans all over the place have been “very proud” of the workforce.
“We’ve got probably the most fantastic gamers on the planet … the coach [Walid Regragui], the coaching workers. I’ll always remember being right here in Qatar throughout such a historic time for our nation”, Chadily, who’s a Dubai resident, mentioned.
There was no recreation, nevertheless, of the boisterous and euphoric scenes the world has come to see from Morocco followers in the course of the event prior to now few weeks.
A number of folks may very well be seen leaping and shouting Dima Maghrib (At all times Morocco) as they left the stadium however nowhere close to with the identical enthusiasm as when the Atlas Lions shocked Portugal final week, or Spain and Belgium earlier than them.
“I used to be actually hoping we might meet Argentina within the last … however France have been higher than us,” Yassine Bouziane informed Al Jazeera.
“However I’m not unhappy, truthfully. They did the most effective they might do. Nobody anticipated this”, the Tangier resident mentioned. “They made so many individuals pleased – all of the Muslims world wide, the Arabs and the folks of Africa.”
France will tackle Argentina on Sunday within the last at Lusail Stadium, whereas Morocco will battle it out with Croatia for third place on December 17.