‘Siiiir’: Moroccan fans in wild celebrations after historic World Cup win

Three hours before the start whistle of a highly anticipated sporting event, no Moroccan cafe was empty.

Clad in the Kingdom’s iconic reds and greens, Moroccans everywhere ran to secure seats at cafes, to witness what some describe as “a devine chance for retribution” against the Spanish football team.

In Salé’s popular streets, the children needing a reason to celebrate began festivities hours before the match, with flags and smoke bullets and patriotic chants, they forshadowed a victory against an opponent that underestimated them.

Scheduled for 4pm, fans were out as early as 12am to support the Atlas Lions in making football history, while all they had on their tongues was how “we need” to beat Spain.

The last World Cup game that opposed Morocco to the Metadors saw us disqualified from the tournament, and the Spaniards’ rumored planned loss to face Morocco instead of Croatia fuelled eagerness for the match to end in the Lions’ favor.

Breaths were held, cheers were chanted and hands were clung to armrests in a cloud of excitement and adrenaline that loomed over the Capital’s streets today.

The game was tight, and so was the atmosphere among fans, who encouraged and cheered their players with surprising forgiveness for Moroccan football fans.

Despite the many missed opportunities and the plethora of failed Spanish attempts, Moroccan young men, women, children and elderly disputed around Hassan adjacent cafe maintained optimism and support.

“I don’t mind if we lose to any team, as long as we win against Spain,” chouts Mouad Messoudi as he gripples his father’s fand in a tight fist.

As the game progressed with a negative tie, the fans were certain the Moroccans would successfully conquer the penalty round.

Yassine Bounou, the Atlas Lions’ goalkeeper, was the name on everyone’s tongues. And deliver he did. Bounou successfully shot down two penalties from the Spaniards with an ease he seems to have borrowed from fellow nationals miles away.

With Hakimi’s final and winning kick, the city imploded, skies were painted red and green while streets seemed to not have been made for wheels, but for feet designed to float in ecstasy, all shouting, “Dima Maghrib.”