The magic formula to Morocco's historic qualification

• Morocco top Group F to qualify for Round of 16

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• Atlas Lions repeat Mexico 1986 achievement

• They will face Spain, Germany, Japan or Costa Rica in the next round

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Morocco have qualified for the Round of 16 at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ in a repeat of their fantastic achievement at Mexico 1986, after their 2-1 win over Canada took them to seven points and the top of Group F.

The Atlas Lions performed very well at Russia 2018 but they had no luck in terms of results, losing to both Iran and Portugal and drawing 2-2 with Spain. This time, however, they brought the magic ingredient needed to add points to positive performances.

 

The Federation: The right decision at the right time Just three months before the World Cup was to kick off, Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, decided to replace head coach Vahid Halilhodzic, despite his success leading the nation to qualification for Qatar 2022. His replacement would be the Moroccan Walid Regragui, who had achieved great success at club level. Lekjaa justified his decision by pointing to the numerous problems that had arisen between Halilhodzic and his players, including his exclusion of Abderrazak Hamdallah, Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui. “The national team cannot exclude Moroccans playing at the highest level all over the world, for whatever reason,” the President announced. “Neither players nor fans understood the reason for excluding players who had spent six or seven years with the national team. The relationship between the players and the coaching staff was neglected, as was their motivation to do their very best. That should be the coach’s focus.” The spirit Morocco have shown in Qatar, the renewed bonds within the team and the significant impact of returnees Ziyech and Mazraoui have all proven Lekjaa’s decision to be absolutely correct. It is also evidence that a united dressing room can be as important as tactics or coaching.