Today's Talking Points
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1Morocco were the story of the 2022 World Cup â the first African and Arab nation ever to reach a semi-final. They beat Spain and Portugal on the way. Nobody saw it coming. They did it with organisation, belief and some genuinely brilliant goalkeeping.
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2Most of their squad plays in Europe's top leagues, which wasn't the case a generation ago. The quality jump is real, not a fluke â and if anything the current side is better than the one that shocked the world in Qatar.
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3Manager Walid Regragui took over just months before the 2022 World Cup and immediately took them to the semi-finals. That's either extremely impressive or evidence that the squad is so good the manager barely matters. Probably a bit of both.
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4Morocco are in Group C with Brazil, Haiti and Scotland. They're realistically competing with Brazil to top the group. If they do, and you've been following them since 2022, you're allowed to feel smug about having 'always believed in them'.
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5The crowd at Morocco games is genuinely extraordinary â they travel in huge numbers, are incredibly passionate, and create an atmosphere that noticeably affects the opposition. Worth mentioning if someone asks why Morocco keep winning games they 'shouldn't'.
đş Top Thing To Say Down The Pub
Morocco got to the World Cup semi-final in 2022. First African nation ever. Half the football world still hasn't quite processed that, so it's still worth saying.
đŤ Avoid Saying
"Surprise package" â they reached the semi-finals of the last World Cup. Calling them a surprise at this point is actually a bit condescending.