Morocco have officially shed their plucky underdog costume and strutted onto the World Cup stage wearing full-blown contender attire, and honestly, it suits them. The Atlas Lions are heading into a quarter-final showdown with France that is essentially a rematch of the 2022 semi-final - you know, the one where Morocco's fairytale run hit a brick wall. This time around, they look hungrier, sharper, and considerably less starry-eyed. Let us rewind the tape and walk through how they got here, because the journey has been nothing short of cinematic.
The group stage opened with a statement draw against Brazil - five-time champions, if you need reminding - where Morocco registered fourteen shots and probably left the Selecao wondering what on earth just happened. Ismael Saibari opened the scoring before Vinicius Jr inevitably had something to say about it, and the points were shared. Next up was Scotland, where Saibari decided he could not be bothered waiting around, netting inside two minutes - the fastest World Cup goal in Moroccan history. Against Haiti, Morocco had to dig deep after falling behind twice, but Achraf Hakimi and Saibari dragged them level before Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine applied the finishing touches.
The knockout rounds cranked the drama up several notches. The Netherlands took the lead through Cody Gakpo, and things looked grim until substitute Issa Diop popped up in stoppage time with the kind of equaliser that makes you spill your drink. Penalties followed, and they were chaotic - four missed before Yassine Bounou repelled Crysencio Summerville's effort and Saibari coolly dispatched the winner. Canada were dispatched more comfortably in the Round of 16, with Azzedine Ounahi bagging a brace and Rahimi adding gloss late on. That result made Morocco the first African nation to reach the last eight more than once. Now France await in Boston, and the Atlas Lions are not travelling to reminisce about 2022 - they are travelling to settle a score.
