Morocco made history in Qatar 2022 after becoming the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals. Their performance was characterized by hard work, teamwork, and grit that saw them beat big guns like Spain and Portugal. Furthermore, they surprised many football betting fans by doing the unexpected. If you wager on sports in South Africa, consider reading the Betway South Africa review for more details about the sportsbook. In the meantime, how will Morocco’s performance affect the rest of the continent? Read on for more.
Message from Coach Walid
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui stated that African teams would be under more pressure in the next World cup after what Morocco achieved. The Atlas Lions made it to the last four of the tournament in style. Their strength was their defense which only conceded one goal in open play before their semi-final encounter with France.
After losing to France, they also lost in the third place play-off to Croatia to finish the tournament in fourth position. That’s an excellent achievement that will inspire other African teams to believe they can go all the way.
Coach Walid argued that other African teams would be expected to go on a similar run in future tournaments. According to the coach, Morocco has shown that the difference between African teams and other top teams in the world is not smaller now than ever before.
Furthermore, he reminded other African nations that the difference is just minor details. As a result, coach Walid stated that the fourth-place finish would really boost African football.
Koulibaly Agrees With Coach Walid
Senegalese captain Kalidou Koulibaly echoed coach Walid’s sentiments. After his team exited the tournament, the captain claimed that African nations should go to the World Cup with higher ambitions.
Canada, Mexico, and the USA will host the 2026 World Cup. That edition will feature 48 teams, and Africa will have at least nine slots. This will be an opportunity to see whether Africa has learned from the just concluded tournament.
Lessons from Morocco
Morocco has shown that African nations must be deliberate in their quest to achieve more on the global stage. For instance, the nation has made significant investments in their football infrastructure to ensure players have state-of-the-art facilities.
They also created a unity within the squad that saw them fight for each other. For instance, most of their players play in European leagues and are popular among football fans. But, coach Walid, with the government’s support, galvanized all these talents behind a common goal.
Can African Nations Step Up?
Time will tell whether Africa is ready to take the next step in developing its football. We will be able to tell this from the build-up to the 2026 World Cup. African football fans will be hoping that the continent realizes its potential. What are your thoughts?
Well…first of all, we cant go there hoping to play like the europeans….we must play african football ( flair, skill, speed)..the minor details have to do with defence compactness, mentality and tenacity….
We must go there with the mentality of aiming to destroy other teams and dominating them, using our flair, speed and skill….and score lots of goals as possible. Then, we must be tenacious and aggressive in defence…in other words, we must become the bullies…