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☆ Morocco call up Nice midfielder Diop for World Cup qualifiers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 9 (Reuters) - Former France under-21 international Sofiane Diop has accepted a first call-up from Morocco for the start of their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign this month, coach Walid Regragui confirmed on Thursday. Nice midfielder Diop, 23, was born in France but is also eligible for Morocco, who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar and recently recruited another French youth international in Bayer Leverkusen winger Amine Adli. "He (Diop) is a player who could have chosen other countries also. Morocco are scheduled to host Eritrea next Thursday in their qualification opener and despite reports the latter could withdraw from the preliminaries, Regragui said they have received no confirmation from FIFA. The Atlas Lions will travel away to Tanzania on Nov. 21 for their second game.

Persons: Sofiane Diop, Walid Regragui, Diop, Regragui, Yassine Bounou, Munir El Kajoui, El Mehdi Benabid, Ghanem Saiss, Nayef Aguerd, Abdelkabir, Yunis, Achraf, Ayoub El, Noussair Mazraoui, Yahya Attiat Allah, Sofyan, Azzedine Ounahi, Yahya Jabrane, Ismael Saibari, Bilal El Khannouss, Amir Richardson, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En, Tarik Tissoudali, Nick Said, Toby Davis Organizations: Bayer Leverkusen, FIFA, The Atlas Lions, Thomson Locations: France, Morocco, Qatar, Tanzania, Niger, Congo, Zambia, United States, Mexico, Canada

☆ Three African teams have reached the Women’s World Cup knockout stages for the first time ever. Here’s what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Yet the tournament’s lowest FIFA world-ranked team (77th) bowed out in style, claiming their first ever Women’s World Cup win with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica. South AfricaNo team left it as late to qualify from the group stage as South Africa. But Thembi Kgatlana had other ideas, tapping home Hildah Magaia’s pull back to secure South Africa’s first ever Women’s World Cup win and a place in the knockout stages with the flick of a boot. A solid start for a side who arrived at the tournament having conceded more goals at the World Cup than any other team. More history was made as Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab at a senior-level Women’s World Cup, and the defender came close to doubling the lead with a well-struck volley.

Persons: –, Banyana Banyana, Thembi Kgatlana, Kgatlana, Lars Baron, I’ve, ” Kgatlana, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Uchenna Kanu, Osinachi Ohale, Australia’s Alanna Kennedy, Lauren James, Christy Ucheibe, Ucheibe, Isabel Infantes, Striker Ibtissam, Benzina, Anissa, Badri, Paul Kane Organizations: CNN, Qatar, debutants, FIFA, Argentina, South, Getty, Racing Louisville, E, US, Sydney Football Stadium, Super Falcons, Olympic, Canada, Brisbane, Group, England, Denmark, European, Chelsea, Benfica, Germany, South Korea, Atlas Lions, France, Hindmarsh Locations: Nigeria, South Africa, debutants Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, Zambia, Japan, Spain, Costa Rica, Africa, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, Vietnam, Republic, Ireland, Canada, Denmark, England, Morocco, Colombia, Korea, Brisbane, Perth, France, Qatar

☆ Morocco coach Regragui in dreamland after win over Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Osama Khairy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 26 (Reuters) - Morocco coach Walid Regragui has hailed his team as history makers after they followed up their giant-killing feats of last year's World Cup with their first win over Brazil in a friendly in Tangier on Saturday. The Atlas Lions became the first Arab team to defeat the five-times world champions, with goals from Sofiane Boufal and substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri earning Morocco a 2-1 victory. We beat Brazil, who are number one in the FIFA rankings and the country of football." "To make the celebration beautiful, we had to win this match and that's what we did," Morocco centre back Romain Saiss said. The result was further proof of the strides Morocco have made under Regragui.

☆ Factbox: 10 memorable impressions from the Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SAUDI ARABIA STUN ARGENTINAArgentina were cruising in their opening Group C game after Lionel Messi scored a first-half penalty. RONALDO EXITS FINAL WORLD CUP IN TEARSPortugal's talisman became the first male player to score in five World Cups with a penalty against Ghana. FIRST FEMALE REFEREE AT A MEN'S WORLD CUPFrenchwoman Stephanie Frappart was handed control of Germany's final Group E clash against Costa Rica, becoming the first female referee to officiate at a men's World Cup. Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez described it as a big step forward in 'sexist sport' and the 39-year-old Frappart produced a calm and assured display in Germany's victory. Germany needed a win over Costa Rica and for Spain to beat Japan to go through as runners-up, and at halftime that was exactly what was happening.

☆ REVIEW Soccer-Whatever the ending, Qatar World Cup duly delivered
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Both scenarios would be an appropriate final act to the first World Cup staged in an Arab country. But for a month the so-called beautiful game did, in the words of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, spread some joy. The marquee names of Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo delivered storylines. In five second-half minutes Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari wrote themselves into Saudi sporting folklore by scoring the goals to overturn a Messi penalty and seal the biggest statistical shock in World Cup history. Messi, channelling his inner-Maradona, inspired Argentina to beat Croatia and few would begrudge the diminutive number 10's record-breaking 26th World Cup appearance ending with him holding aloft the gleaming trophy.

☆ Morocco vs. France World Cup 2022 game highlights globalization
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Tony Karon | Tony Karon Is The Editorial Lead Of Al Jazeera'S Aj | Channel. Also An Associate Professor At The New School In New York | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The iconic image of the 2022 World Cup may well be Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal dancing with his mum after his team’s brilliant upset victory over Portugal in the quarterfinals. Boufal and his mother — like the majority of Morocco’s players and coaches — live in European cities, part of that continent’s vast marginalized and embattled migrant underclass. Morocco’s prowess as the first African team to make the semifinals of the World Cup brings us ever closer to fulfilling soccer icon Pelé’s prophecy. Indeed, this was the first World Cup in which all five African teams were coached by African coaches, rather than by European journeymen. The team's strategy suggests its coach has rewritten the playbook that long recommended African teams play pessimistic defensive football, hoping for a lucky break.

Doha, Qatar CNN —They’re known as The Atlas Lions, the Moroccan football team that’s ripped up the history books at the FIFA World Cup. Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri, center, celebrates after scoring the only goal in his side's World Cup quarterfinal win over Portugal, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on December 10, 2022. “I think this moment of joy resonates with everyone who is downtrodden.”Morocco’s success has also breathed new life into a once-lost identity, as people from across the Arab world celebrated the team’s victories. “If anything, [the World Cup] has shown the stark contrast between the rulers and the ruled, between the regimes and the publics,” he said. Walid Regragui, Morocco head coach, is thrown in the air after the team qualified for the World Cup knockout stages by beating Canada on December 1.

☆ Defending champion France ends Morocco’s Qatar 2022 dream and reaches fourth World Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Defending champion France ended Morocco’s 2022 World Cup dream on Wednesday thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Al Bayt Stadium. France is the first defending World Cup champion to reach the final in two decades. Lionel Messi and Argentina now await as France seeks to win back-to-back World Cup titles. They deserve a lot of credit for this World Cup. We’ll enjoy it now and get ready for the last match of this World Cup.”

☆ Africa’s World Cup: how a continent that usually underperforms finally got it right
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —After the first round of games at the World Cup, an all too familiar script looked to be playing out for African football fans. Zaire was the first sub-Saharan nation to participate at the World Cup. But not only is this the most affordable World Cup for Africans, it is also the most accessible. It was a very big challenge for Brazil [in 2014].”Mohamed Kudus was the breakout star of Ghana's World Cup, scoring a brace against South Korea. That investment, along with a crop of stellar talent and Africa’s best coach, has catapulted Morocco to the World Cup semifinals.

☆ UN agency says Israel is delaying new visas for its staff
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Jerusalem CNN —A United Nations agency that operates in the West Bank and Gaza says Israel is not processing visas for its newly recruited staff, while Israeli officials accuse the agency of “ignoring Israeli victims of terror” in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, a charge the agency denies. The UN considers East Jerusalem and the West Bank to be occupied territory, and Israelis living there to be living in illegal settlements. Erdan said when OCHA is asked why they don’t count Israeli victims, they are told the agency does not have reliable data. “Of course you don’t, you don’t employ Hebrew speakers, and the senior manager of the agency is Palestinian,” Erdan said. OCHA’s latest report does record some instances of Israelis being injured by stones thrown at civilian vehicles traveling in the West Bank.

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ Morocco’s historic World Cup achievement hailed worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Moroccan flag was displayed in cities all around the world on Saturday, as fans celebrated the Atlas Lions’ historic 1-0 victory over Portugal. The qualification of the Atlas Lions for the semi-final of the 2022 world is that of all Africa. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah tweeted: “Congratulations to the Moroccan national team for their historic qualification to the World Cup semi-finals,” alongside an emoji of the Moroccan flag. “CONTINENTAL HISTORY!… What an achievement by the Atlas Lions,” the Confederation of African Football tweeted. !” in reference to her song used as during the 2010 World Cup, with a clapping emoji and a Moroccan flag.

☆ Morocco becomes first ever African team to reach the World Cup semifinals with historic victory over Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Morocco made history Saturday as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal, defeating Portugal 1-0 to continue its sparkling run in Qatar. Youssef En-Nesyri scored the game’s only goal, rising highest to head the ball into the net just minutes before halftime, while Morocco’s defense once again kept a clean sheet. And the Al Thumama Stadium rang with cheers, drums and whistles on Saturday as if almost an entire continent and region were inside, witnessing their team make history. Defeat for Portugal marked the end of what is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup as even he could not make a dent in the Morocco defense and was left in tears walking down the tunnel after the final whistle. More to follow..

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo leaves World Cup in tears as chances to win title are shattered by Morocco
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Cristiano Ronaldo left the 2022 World Cup in tears as his chances to win the tournament for the first time in his career were shattered after his Portugal team was shocked 1-0 by Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday. It’s likely Ronaldo’s final appearance at a World Cup as he began Portugal’s round of 16 and quarterfinal games as a substitute after being benched by the team’s coach Fernando Santos. Ronaldo’s appearance was the 196th of his Portugal career equaling Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait for the most caps in men’s international football history. If it is to be Ronaldo’s final appearance at a World Cup, he has certainly made his mark on the tournament over the years. In his 22 games at the finals, Ronaldo scored eight goals and earlier in this year’s tournament, the 37-year-old became the first men’s player to score in five World Cups.

In an Abidjan cafe where people were watching the game and drinking beer to celebrate the win, customer Jules Goule said Ivorians were proud of Morocco's win. "Through Morocco Africa has just shown that it can compete with other continents in football," he said. As the game wound on, Morocco fans screamed "Ole, ole, ole!" In the media box, a security guard, screaming with triumph, hugged a Moroccan journalist who was weeping with happiness. But in Rabat, joyful fans thronged the streets, people poured towards the downtown square where Morocco's victories are celebrated.

☆ World Cup quarterfinals: Morocco on the verge of history against Portugal as Kylian Mbappé’s France face England
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Moroccans have become the darlings of the World Cup. At the first “Arab” World Cup, they became the first Arab nation to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup and, as the first African side to qualify for the quarterfinals in over a decade, they represent so much more than just their own nation. Born in Madrid, Achraf Hakimi scored the goal to knock Spain out of the World Cup. No team has scored more than Portugal’s 12 at the World Cup, but will the unstoppable Portugal be able to beat the immovable Morocco? Mbappé has already surpassed Cristiano Ronalo's World Cup goal scoring record and is level with Lionel Messi on nine.

☆ Morocco's round of 16 success is no fluke
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The Atlas Lions had roared to stun 2010 World Cup winner Spain and reach the quarterfinals of Qatar 2022. “Now it is the Africans and Arabs.”For many, it was the shock of the tournament, as the North Africans won their first ever knockout game at a World Cup. Many Moroccans thought that it could be after the World Cup or in a few years, but none were unhappy when it was announced he would take over the national side less than 100 days before their first game at the World Cup. In African football, Regragui has often been compared with José Mourinho thanks to his tactical discipline and stellar man-management skills. Morocco’s success at the World Cup may be best story of the tournament so far, but it is not the not the result of luck and grit, but rather expertise and planning.

☆ Mr Avocado Head has Morocco daring to dream
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Shady Amir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

When the appointment of Regragui following the departure of Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic was announced in August, underwhelmed pundits branded him "avocado head" as a belittling term of derision. Morocco first grabbed attention at the World Cup with a goalless draw against Croatia, the runners-up four years ago. Unfortunately, I did not play in the World Cup. "I think Africans can go far, why not dream of winning the cup? The Moroccan people made us united on the field," Regragui told Bein Sports.

☆ Morocco's 'avocado head' plots another World Cup shock
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Shady Amir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Spain, who humbled Costa Rica 7-0 in their opening game, finished second in Group E behind Japan while Morocco defied the odds to win Group F ahead of Croatia and Belgium. The Spanish, world champions in 2010, lost their last group match to Japan and face a difficult test from a Moroccan side growing in confidence under coach Walid Regragui. Spain drew 1-1 with Germany following their rout of Costa Rica and after the loss to Japan coach Luis Enrique was critical of his team. This was impossible because in five minutes, Japan scored two goals ... we were out, we were dismantled," he said. In the first half against Costa Rica, Spain's 537 successful passes set a World Cup record but they will need to show more cutting edge to stay on course for a second world title.

Against Belgium, man of the match Ziyech showed what the team was missing in a brilliant performance that helped Morocco to their first World Cup victory since beating Scotland 3-0 in 1998. "He is incredible, the spirit he has, coming back to the national team," a jubilant Regragui said. "A lot of people talk about him, say he is crazy and difficult to manage, that he can't help the team. Ziyech had Morocco's first shot on goal in the second half, and was allowed to move freely between the lines in the front third, tormenting the Belgian defence. Another substitute, Abdelhamid Sabiri, struck the shot that touched captain Romain Saiss on its way in for the first goal.

☆ Germany looks to bounce back from shock defeat and revive World Cup hopes against dangerous Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Finishing bottom of the group at Russia 2018, a tournament Germany went into as defending champion, was a historic low for the four-time World Cup winner. But after that shock 2-1 defeat to Japan in its opening match, it is once again a distinct possibility. That result means the match against Spain is do or die for Germany, as a defeat would confirm an early flight home from Qatar. World Cup team camps have traditionally been somewhat strict, private affairs, but Spain head coach Luis Enrique has been taking an unconventional approach to passing the time behind closed doors. In Group E’s other match, Japan knows victory over Costa Rica will guarantee its place in the knockout stages.

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