Everyone is united around football.
Residents celebrating in Esvira, last week (photo: official website, Dror Zamir)
The sensational performance of the Moroccan national team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar organized an intriguing and first-of-its-kind meeting in the semi-finals, which carries a lot of historical charge.
Morocco, the first Arab team in history to qualify for the semi-finals, will compete in their first official match against the French team, the experienced world champion and favorite to win.
This is the same France that granted Morocco its independence in 1956, at the end of a rule that began in 1912 and was characterized by conflicts and foreign rule in the lives of the residents.
During my trip to Morocco, I get to stay in a country that has been in a dream for exactly one week.
The qualification from the group stage was surprising, in a house that included the runner-up of the world champion and another representative in the semi-finals, Croatia, and Belgium, which was the favorite to advance and was eliminated after being defeated by the Atlas Lions.
But what has happened since then - the historic victories over Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and the quarter-finals - and the qualification to the semi-finals, is an event that is defined here as a conference.
The whole nation is united here around one thing only - the team.
Whether it's in the big cities, the surf towns in the south, or the poor villages in the Atlas Mountains - everyone has one thing on their mind these days - football.
Moroccan national team fans riot in the Netherlands and Belgium (YouTube)
In Morocco to this day, the influence of its days as a French colony is evident.
The French wanted to strengthen their cultural influence on the citizens they ruled, and in Morocco schools were taught for many years in the French language.
To this day this influence is evident, and if you visit Morocco you will see many signs on the streets not only in Arabic, but also in French.
Almost all the residents here understand French.
"There is a lot of history between Morocco and France," says Yassin, a resident of Marrakesh.
"We don't really have a problem with them, we just want to win. After beating Spain and Portugal, we believe it's possible."
His friend Ali, who owns a spinge stand in the city, disagrees.
"It's going to be a tense game. We hate the French, my father is still afraid of them."
In the port city of Isvira, a group of young people celebrated and sang songs of praise for the players and the national team on the promenade by the beach.
"You don't mix politics and football," one of them, a worker, told me.
"I like Mbappe, Griezmann, Benzema. So what if they are from France? Football is football."
Fortuna added: "It's all nonsense, football unites people. Look how the whole Arab and African world is behind us."
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To the full article
"It's all nonsense, football unites people. Look how the whole Arab and African world is behind us" (Photo: official website, Dror Zamir)
What is certain, in the country they will no longer be surprised if, after the previous sensations, the Atlas Lions also beat the world champions, qualify for the finals and do the unbelievable - win the World Cup.
"Bring France, bring Argentina, we'll bring the cup," chant the residents in a local bar in the southern city of Agadir.
They are already planning a meeting with Messi in the final.
For them - everything is possible.
Ramsay, a local guy who I accompany on my journey in the country, made an appointment with me for dinner, and surprised him when he arrived with a shaved head.
"I went bald like our captain, Roman Saiss. It will bring luck," he explained.
One of the chants that will be engraved in my head after the journey is over is "Pot! Pot! Pot!", translated into Hebrew it means "Come on! Come on! Come on!".
Whenever they have a chance here, they shout "pot".
Since the team started its crazy journey in the World Cup, these calls are heard here endlessly.
I already feel like a local here, so before the game, all that remains is to wish "Sir Morocco!
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