Morocco defeats USA, advances to Olympics football semifinals in World Cup reprise

Morocco’s national football team on Friday secured its first-ever Olympic knockout game victory after a 4-0 victory over the United States, recalling the Atlas Lions’ historic advancement to the Fifa World Cup semifinals in 2022.

With a vibrant Moroccan community in France, the stadium was filled as if it were a Morocco home game, with fans donning the team’s signature red and green jerseys.

Unlike the World Cup, the Olympic games seek to highlight rising players by limiting the age to 23, with three older players allowed.

This means the Atlas Lions line-up differs from that of 2022, although World Cup veteran Achraf Hakimi – a Paris Saint-Germain star and perhaps the most famous Moroccan soccer player – leads the team as its captain.

Hakimi, a defender playing in his club’s home stadium, scored a dazzling goal in the second half, running solo from the midfield into the opposing box.

Morocco became the first Arab and African nation to make the World Cup semifinals after defeating Spain and Portugal, a team featuring the star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Atlas Lions were heralded as heroes in the Middle East and North Africa, popularising chants such as “siir!” (go!) and Arabic words like “niyyah” (intention). The team also highlighted North Africa’s ethnic diversity with its many Amazigh players and sent a message by waving the Palestinian flag in celebrations.

Videos of the Atlas Lions celebrating with their mothers highlighted the prominence of maternal figures in Moroccan families and that was emphasised when Morocco's king later hosted a reception with the players and their mothers rather than their spouses or partners.

Morocco also defeated powerhouse Argentina, who won last year’s World Cup. Next Monday, the Atlas Lions will face Spain in the semifinals.