Morocco manager Walid Regragui has described his team’s performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as “fantastic” after they lost 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place playoff on Saturday.
The result at the Khalifa International Stadium was a new high for the African continent, who before now did not make it past the quarter-finals.
For the Arab world that Morocco also represents, the Round of 16 was the farthest any nation had gone, the Atlas Lions being the first to do so in 1986.
Now that Morocco have gone farther in Qatar, Regragui believes his team have set a precedent for African and Arab teams to aim at winning the World Cup.
“The doubts were in the minds of everyone before this tournament but we have gone further than expected and it is not enough. That needs to set the example for the future,” Regragui said after the game against Croatia.
“Something that has touched me is when I see the pictures of children because football makes people dream. We have allowed children to dream, we have kept those dreams alive.
“Children in Morocco and around the world dream of winning the World Cup and that means more to me than winning any game at the World Cup.
“We have made a fantastic achievement but we want to do that again. If we can keep reaching the semi-final or quarter final regularly, one day we will win the World Cup.”
Morocco’s journey in Qatar saw them go unbeaten in Group F and finished on top ahead of Croatia, Belgium and Canada.
The 1976 Africa Cup of Nations champions then saw off Spain on penalties in the Round of 16, then beat Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-finals to break Africa’s jinx at the World Cup before falling 2-0 to France in the semi-finals.
Regragui and his team will now shift their attention to the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in January 2024.
Morocco are in Group K of the qualifiers and they have already secured two wins from two games to sit top of the group ahead of South Africa, Liberia and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe have been disqualified from the group after the country’s football association was suspended by FIFA for government interference in football matters.
