For Arab fans, Morocco’s World Cup exit is bittersweet

Morocco’s 2-1 defeat to Croatia in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday was seen philosophically by the Moroccan team’s supporters across the Arab world. The club had already made history by being the first African and Arab team to make it to the semifinals of a major soccer competition.

Morocco’s defeat to France on Wednesday crushed fans’ dreams that it would triumph as the underdog, but many had thought that it would at least finish third in its matchup with Croatia.

Fans of the national team in the capital of Morocco were sad about the loss on Saturday, but they were proud of the team’s historic performance.

They continue to be champions in our eyes, according to Rabat supporter Soukaina Makkaoui. They are currently one of the top four teams in the world.

Another Moroccan supporter, Ali Hachimi, felt both joy and sorrow.

He remarked, “The players deserved it after giving their best.” “We would have preferred to finish third.”

With players flying the Palestinian flag after victories and celebrating on the field with their mothers and children, the Moroccan team won the hearts of many Arab soccer fans along the way.

Thousands of supporters came into the Gaza Strip on Saturday to support Morocco, and Ibrahim al-Lilli described the sight of Palestinian flags flying in the stadium as “an incredible experience.”

He referred to the Abraham Accord normalisation accords that four Arab countries, including Morocco, signed with Israel in 2020 and said that the games proved that the Arab street “supports the Palestinian cause regardless of what their governments do.”

Supporters in the besieged Gaza area were saddened by the fact that the Arab nation from northern Africa got as far as it did.

Ahmed al-Najjar, another supporter in Gaza, said that the result was “a defeat, but with a taste of victory and exhilaration.”

The team’s fourth-place performance is still a source of pride for the Arab world, according to Muhammad Shaalan in Beirut’s Tarik al-Jdideh district, where supporters were also cheering for Morocco.

“They got to the final games, and they beat three of the top big European teams,” he remarked, referring to Belgium, Spain, and Portugal. I pay them respect as an Arab team by lowering my head.