FIFA/World Cup: From Qatar to Chile, Morocco’s winner mindset prevails!
Three years After the historic achievement made by Morocco’s Atlas Lions in Qatar’s World Cup, the first Arab and African team to reach the semi-finals, the Atlas Lion Cubs were crowned the U20 world champions in Chile.
They are the first Arab team to reach the top of the world, confirming the status of Morocco as the best football nation in Africa and also the rising country in World Football.
Thanks to their skills and determination, they defeated in Santiago the legendary Argentina, seven-time world champion, scoring two goals in the first half by Yassir Zabiri, best goal-scorer of the tournament with 5 goals.
In Chile, the Young Atlas Cubs wrote a golden page in Morocco’s football history. Their victory is not fortuitous. It is the culmination of a long and laborious journey. It is also the result of a well-thought-out project crafted by King Mohammed VI for the empowerment of young talents.
In the final against Argentina, the world champions, Moroccans did not chase prestige. They set their eyes on the title. They played a compact block game with clean ball exits, verticality tactics and clinical efficiency in the tight spaces opened up by the opponent.
The final whistle sparked wild celebrations from the Moroccan players. In Morocco, a huge clamor rose throughout the country. From Tangiers to Laayoune, a green and red crowd surged through the streets at 2 am. People shouted and sang; others cried with joy and hugged each other in a deafening din of car horns. It is the first time that Morocco, a land of football, has ever a World Cup.
But Behind this historic achievement stands the Mohammed VI Football Academy which has produced several international stars, including Youssef En-Nesyri, Nayef Aguerd, and Azzedine Ounahi.
Opened in 2009 near Rabat, the Academy features state-of-the-art facilities, a focus on player development both on and off the pitch, and is part of a larger national program to improve Moroccan football.
It has become the breeding ground of football stars including many players of the U20 team. The Academy is a 35-hectare complex with 11 pitches, player housing for 500, and advanced medical and recovery facilities.
Its comprehensive approach includes high-level training, education, and preparation for professional careers. The academy is a cornerstone of a national initiative that includes 13 regional centers and 145 pitches across the country.
It has become an inspirational success-story, propelling Morocco to the top of world football scene. The U20 team as those of U-17 and the Olympic team have reaped the fruits of years of labor, dedication and investment.
Above all, the victory of the Atlas Cubs in Chile has shown what it means to “win together”: no misplaced egos, decisive substitutes and key smart and focused players. The coaching staff, for its part, showed skills: calibrated rotation, load management, adaptations from opponent to opponent. Against Mexico, it was necessary to control transitions; against France, to show mental resilience and effective time management. In the final, they remained calm and focused. The tactics paid-off.
After winning the U-20 World Cup, Morocco and Atlas Cubs will reap the dividends of their efforts and victory. Big football clubs around the world, especially those in Europe, have already set eyes on signing best Moroccan stars. On the international scene, the success of the Moroccan football experience and model will give the Kingdom more global credit, attracting more partners, tournaments, and technical exchanges.
Furthermore, the victory of the U20 team sends young Moroccans a clear message saying that success is possible and Moroccan coaches can lead to global top.
Let’s not forget that the historic achievement of the Atlas Lion Cubs in Chile is the culmination of years of perseverance. It is just the beginning for more titles.
The culmination of a generation that has learned to win. The beginning for a Moroccan project, spearheaded by the Mohammed VI Academy, seeking to produce more again & more world-class footballers, elite-players capable of breaking the world glass-ceiling, proving that Nothing is Impossible for Moroccans!
Source: L’Équipe and Morocco Beat
