Morocco’s historic run fueled by coach’s belief in players
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou leaned back in his chair, shook his head and said: “Pinch me, I’m dreaming.”
Yes, Morocco really is in the World Cup semifinals.
Before arriving in Qatar, the north African nation had only ever won two of its previous 16 matches at the World Cup. The team’s coach had been in position for just four months. Its players were talented but battling a culture of underachievement by the country at major soccer tournaments.
So, how has Morocco managed to top a group containing second-ranked Belgium and 2018 finalist Croatia and then eliminate Spain and Portugal — two of Europe’s soccer powerhouses — to become Africa’s first World Cup semifinalist and the pride of the Arab world?
The answer lies in a bold decision by its soccer federation and recently installed coach Walid Regragui’s unwavering belief in a game plan that’s being followed to the letter by a selfless and gifted group of players.
No team has been able to crack the code. Can France in the semifinals?
COACHING CHANGE
The foundation to this unlikely underdog story was built in August when Vahid Halilhodzic —an experienced Bosnian coach who guided Morocco serenely through African qualifying — was fired by the federation essentially because of his refusal to select Hakim Ziyech, one of the country’s best players. The federation cited “divergent visions” as the reason for firing Halilhodzic and replaced him with Regragui, a former Morocco international who had just led Wydad Casablanca to the African Champions League title. Regragui was about to inherit the most talented Morocco squad in a generation.
SQUAD DEPTH
The team has never had so many players from top European clubs. The two full backs, Achraf Hakimi and Noussair Mazraoui, are starters for Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, respectively; winger Ziyech plays for Chelsea, albeit not so regularly; goalkeeper Bounou and striker Youssef En-Nesyri are at Sevilla in Spain; Sofyan Amrabat is the defensive midfielder at Fiorentina in Italy; center backs Nayef Aguerd is at West Ham in the Premier League, where captain Romain Saiss was recently playing for Wolverhampton. Regragui’s task was two-fold: to get his players functioning in a system that could get results at the World Cup and to get them believing they could shock the world. “I told them, ‘You don’t come to the World Cup only to play three games,” he said. He has created a masterpiece.
TACTICS
Regragui sets his team up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with the defense typically in a deep, low block and Amrabat sitting directly in front, never venturing forward. Against the supposedly bigger teams this World Cup, the four-man
midfield line also has dropped further back to create another defensive shield, leaving En-Nesyri as the lone striker. When the opponent loses possession, Regragui has drilled his players to break forward on the counterattack at pace, using the energy of full backs Hakimi and Mazraoui to complement the mercurial skills of Ziyech and fellow winger Sofiane Boufal. From being isolated, En-Nesyri suddenly finds five or six teammates with him. The approach requires discipline and high levels of mental concentration. “We have a clear game plan — everyone has to work,” Regragui. “We are showing the world you can succeed even if you don’t have as much talent and money.”
THE NUMBERS
The statistics behind Morocco’s run are extraordinary. The team has only conceded one goal — and that was an own-goal by Aguerd against Canada — meaning Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Portugal have failed to break down Morocco.
They have only allowed 10 shots on target in five games. They are averaging less than three shots on goal and surviving on an average possession of just 29.8% per game.
Against Spain, Morocco had 343 passes and its opponent had 1,041. “I don’t think they have ever run as much in their lives,” Regragui said. “When you put in so much heart, you give yourselves a chance.”
END FOR RONALDO?
Cristiano Ronaldo said in a cryptic social media post that his dream of winning the World Cup with Portugal has ended, while stopping short of announcing his retirement from international duty.
Ronaldo, 37, left the field in tears after Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday. In his first comments after the elimination, Ronaldo said Sunday that it was “time to take stock” without saying explicitly if he wants to carry on being available for Portugal after 19 years in the national team.
“There’s no point in reacting rashly,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. “I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant.
“I’ve always been just one more [Portuguese] fighting for everyone’s goal. I would never turn my back on my teammates or my country.”
Ronaldo, who is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 118 goals, said putting Portugal “on the highest level in the world” was his biggest dream.
“In my five appearances at World Cups over 16 years, always playing alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I have given my all,” he wrote. “I left everything I had on the pitch. I’ll never shrink from a battle and I have never given up on that dream.
“Unfortunately, that dream ended yesterday.”
Ronaldo said he would now “let everyone draw their own conclusions.”
“For now. There’s not much else to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful as long as it lasted.”