How Morocco became the favorite underdog of Qatar 2022

On December 14 2022, Morocco lost 0-2 against France in the semifinals. However, the North African team had already surpassed everyone's expectations and could go back home feeling proud.

Morocco surprised many with its first major victory, knocking out Portugal in the quarter-finals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup with a goal made by Youssef En-Nesyri.

By defeating Cristiano Ronaldo's team, the Atlas Lions have become the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

32 years prior, during the Italy 1990 World Cup, Cameroon managed to become the first African team to get into the top eight after defeating Maradona's Argentina and Colombia in the first two rounds. Ultimately, they lost against England.

12 years later, Senegal created high expectations by defeating reigning France in the opening match and then Sweden, only to be defeated by Turkey in the quarter-finals.

Something similar happened in South Africa in 2010, the first time that the World Cup was hosted by an African country. Ghana's Black Stars would have scored a winning goal against Uruguay if it wasn't for Luis Suárez managing to block it. The South American team would ultimately win in penalties.

What made Morocco's performance in the 2022 Qatar World Cup so surprising is the fact that the Atlas Lions have never passed the first round before. In fact, they didn't even make it into the tournament between 1998 and 2018!

This feat is in no small part thanks to French coach Hervé Renard, twice winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, first with Zambia and then with Côte d'Ivoire. Renard's leadership made it possible for Morocco to classify for the Russia 2018 World Cup.

However, Morocco also has many talented team members that make up a terrific team. These include Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech (pictured), Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi or Marseille winger Amine Harit.

Morocco seemed to have very slim chances at Qatar 2022 since it was in the same group as Croatia and Belgium, second and third place in the last World Cup. Canada was also a fearsome rival, with several high-level players.

In their opening match, the North African team tied with Croatia, generally considered a favorite for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. This made it possible for Morocco to move to the next round.

However, it was during the second match, against Belgium, that the Atlas Lions showed their claws, defeating the Red Devils 2-0 and landing in second place in the tournament's Group F.

Morocco then beat the Canadian team 2-1 and managed to get on top of Group F after a Croatia-Belgium match ended in a tie.

In the round of 16 team, Morocco played against Spain, which held second place in Group E. Many thought that victory for the European team was a foregone conclusion.

After 90 minutes, plus half an hour of extra time, either team had yet to score a single goal. After an epic penalty shoot-out, marked by an exceptional performance by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Morocco ascended to the quarter-finals.

After defeating Portugal in the quarter-finals, Morocco made its way through history, and the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Atlas Lions have been generally seen as the breakout team of this tournament.

Between a strong defense and attacking creativity, the team has shown that it can face and even defeat the powerhouses around the globe.

Morroco's run at Qatar 2023 came to an end against France, who would eventually lose against Argentina in the finals.

However, the Atlas Lions already achieved far more than any imagined. It just remains to be seen how it will be their performance in future international tournaments.