Africa-Press – Mauritius. Achraf Hakimi was on the spot. The Atlas Lions’s Spanish-born superstar wing back had the chance to send Morocco through to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever.
So when, following the nerve-racking penalty shootout against Spain, Hakimi ever-so-easily kicked the ball into the net at Education City Stadium in Qatar, thousands of spectators collectively heaved a huge sigh of relief – and then they roared.
Safa, 39, said she “didn’t expect” Morocco to make it this far. “We are so glad . . . the next game we will win 1-0 inshallah,” the Casablanca resident told Al Jazeera.
Safa, who was also at Morocco’s game against Canada on December 1, said the hype from the fans inside the stadium probably also had a “positive impact” on the players.
A cacophony of cheering, singing and drumming overtook the stadium as soon as the historic match began. Reaching the quarter-finals was an unspeakable feat, adding to the successes of Arab teams Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, which beat Argentina and France, respectively, despite their eventual exit from the World Cup.
The wave of support in the stadium was deafening as Morocco became the first Arab nation and fourth African country to advance to the last eight of football’s greatest tournament.
“It is a dream come true, I have no words to express my happiness,” Fadoua Chernane told Al Jazeera.
“They are our heroes, they made us proud today, no matter if we win the World Cup or not, we have made history today,” the 42-year-old said.
As the celebrations quickly spread across Doha, Arab fans took to Twitter to share pictures of Hakimi hugging and kissing his mother, who had been cheering him on from the bleachers.
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