King joins Rabat celebrations as world leaders congratulate Morocco on historic win
King Mohammed VI was seen in Rabat’s street sharing the joy of millions of Moroccans after their team made it to the quarter finals of Qatar World Cup following a well-deserved and passionate game against Spain.
The King, in a red and green jersey of the national team, had congratulated in a phone call head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation Faouzi Lekjaa and the national coach Walid Regragui and urged them to keep up the same spirit after the win over Spain.
Other members of the Moroccan royal family including the King’s son and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and his uncle Moulay Rachid were seen in Rabat’s street celebrating Morocco.
As thousands took to the streets of Moroccan cities to celebrate their team’s breakthrough, similar expressions of joy reverberated across Africa and the Arab World and beyond.
With this qualification, Morocco becomes the fourth African team to have reached the stage of 8 and the last squad defending African football in the tournament.
“Africa as a whole is proud and impressed by the historic prowess of the Atlas Lions…I would like to express my encouragements,” head of the African Union’s commission Moussa Faki Mahamat said on twitter congratulating Morocco’s king and people for this achievement.
Senegal’s president and longtime friend of Morocco Macky Sall echoed him saying “Bravo Atlas Lions! Heartfelt congratulations on this brilliant qualification to the quarter finals and good luck in the rest of the tournament.”
The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, joined the Heads of State who called King Mohammed VI to congratulate him on the Moroccan team’s historic achievement.
The King had also received congratulatory calls from President of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba and other world leaders and honorable members of Arab royal families.
The celebrations and chants to celebrate Morocco’s win reverberated from Rabat to Baghdad as Arabs see in Morocco their hope to make inroads in the global football stage.
The Emir of Qatar was there on the ground with his family members hoisting the Moroccan flag and showing support for the last Arab team standing and impressing football fans from around the world.
“The Moroccan lions…we show to the world our pride in you…the Impossible is not Moroccan…the Impossible is not Arab,” said Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum of Dubai.
Other princes of the UAE congratulated Morocco, joined by Queen Rania of Jordan, Secretary of the Arab League and renowned artists from around the Arab World.
Abu Mazen, head of the Palestinian authority, also congratulated Morocco on its win as thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank gathered to cheer Morocco hoisting its flags. The Palestinians have even made a song to show their love for Morocco team.
Similar scenes of celebrations were also noticed in Tel Aviv with Defense minister Benny Gantz writing “Mabrouk to our Moroccan friends on their major win.”
In Western capitals, the joy and pride in Morocco team gain traction as hundreds took to the main squares of many European capitals and cities such as Brussels, Paris, Marseille, Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam as well as Istanbul.
Morocco now is not only a team for Moroccans to cheer! Its world-class performance gave it supporters from the global south beyond Africa and the Arab World.
