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Morocco’s trailblazing run to the semi-finals will inspire the continent’s teams to dare to dream of reaching the World Cup final in the future, says former Nigeria great Sunday Oliseh.
On Wednesday, Morocco became the first African side to feature in the World Cup semi-finals, where the Atlas Lions suffered a hard-fought 2-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions France.
Despite the loss, Oliseh believes their unprecedented success will empower other African nations to follow in their footsteps with the World Cup expanding to 48 teams in 2026.
“The essence of having records is to push people to break them,” Oliseh told BBC Sport Africa.
“So if your record has only been the quarter-final, the aim will be to get to the semi-final. The new ambition is now no longer just the semi-final, the ambition now is getting to the final.”
An early goal from Theo Hernandez left Morocco with work to do, but Walid Regragui’s side pushed in search of an equaliser before their hopes were dashed by a second goal – against the run of play – from Randal Kolo Muani with 11 minutes left.
“It was a great performance,” added Oliseh, who won 55 caps for Nigeria between 1993 and 2002.
“Bowing out the way they did was great because they were not dominated. On the contrary, they had chances to score. They worked hard and for me it has been a great tournament and something exceptional for the African continent.”
The former Super Eagles midfielder says Morocco’s run to the last four was built on their defensive and organised style – but one which was also full of energy and bursts of flair that suited their squad.
A giant killer in Qatar, eliminating European powerhouses Spain in the last 16 and then Portugal in the quarter-finals, Morocco did not concede to an opposition player until the semi-final stage.
They relied on superb goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and the heroics of captain Romain Saiss, among a host of impressive performers, to record four clean sheets – with the last two teams to have registered five both winning the title (Italy 2006, Spain 2010).
“Morocco play to their strengths,” said Oliseh.
“You have to be realistic. If they had [had] another calibre of players, then we would have complained for them to play the way they did.
“But they looked at their team and said: ‘OK, we are like this and we’ll play like this’. It worked out.”
‘Playing for their people’
One of five African coaches leading the same tally of African representatives at the World Cup, Regragui’s profile has skyrocketed during the tournament for his tactical nous, man-management and motivational skills.
A coach at Sv 19 Straelen in Germany with previous stints at Fortuna Sittard and Nigeria, Oliseh lavished praise on Morocco’s new star in the dugout.
“He is an African coaching Africans and he brought the psychological part into the game whereby he made them realise they are playing for their people,” he said.
“He played to the strength of his players. You saw that there was a good unity in the team. He did a lot.”
Ahead of the third-placed play-off against Croatia on Saturday (15:00 GMT), former international Regragui has hinted he is likely to use squad players, particularly with first-choice defenders Saiss, Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui carrying injuries.
The two countries have already met at the tournament, playing out a 0-0 draw in their Group F opener.
“It will be difficult on a mental level. I will give opportunities to those who did not play and we will try to clinch third place,” Regragui, born in France to Moroccan parents, said.
“The important thing is that we presented a good look to our team and that football in Morocco is not far from the top level.”
Prior to Morocco’s historic campaign, only Cameroon (in 1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) had ever contested World Cup quarter-finals for Africa.
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