Morocco’s national football team received a hero’s welcome upon their return home after accomplishing the seemingly impossible feat of finishing fourth at the World Cup in Qatar.
After their plane touched down on Tuesday, the players rode an open-top bus through the major avenues of the capital, Rabat. With flares, chants and flags, thousands of Moroccans turned out to greet the players, who injected new energy into the game, and change the course of the tournament.
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Underdogs Morocco, known as the Atlas Lions, conquered hearts with their never-say-die attitude and made history as the first African team to reach a world cup semi final.
Morocco defeated elite teams, beating second-ranked Belgium, stunning 2010 champions Spain in a penalty shootout in the last 16, and continuing their impressive run with a 1-0 win against 2016 European champions Portugal, before stumbling against the defending champions France. Along the way, the Atlas Lions became the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semifinal.
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The players’ record-setting earned them a special celebration by fans, as police stood guard in the streets of Rabat. Big crowds lined the streets and the rest of the North African kingdom for the homecoming.
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