Tis hard to overstate the impact of the Moroccan soccer team’s success in Doha earlier this month, notwithstanding its eventual loss to France. The World Cup was a sporting event, but it had unintended social and political implications for the Arab, African, and Muslim worlds. Sometimes sporting events offer a window on the wider world, and in this case reactions to the Moroccan team’s performance gave reason for optimism.
When the whistle sounded at the end of the World Cup match between Morocco and Portugal on December 10, a Chinese chat group in which most members are Muslim was filled with the fireworks emoji. This emoji was as visible online as were the jubilant celebrations of people in the streets of Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, and other Moroccan cities. Moroccans in France, Belgium, and even the USA filled the streets and public places, singing and drumming for the victory. In Doha, Tunisians, Syrians, Qataris, and non-Arabs joined the celebrations. Even Algerian fans joined in. A Pakistani friend posted a Moroccan flag on his social media, and the Turkish-German player Mesut Özil wrote, “Proud. What a team! What an achievement for the African continent & Muslim world.” His post included emojis of hands making a prayer, the Moroccan flag, and a heart.
Soccer is a popular sport in Arab countries, but few Arab fans support teams of Arab countries other than their own. In the recent past, Egypt attracted Arab attention with its outstanding players, but Egypt did not qualify in this year’s World Cup, leaving Morocco one of the few choices among Arab teams. By the Knockout stage, Morocco was the only Muslim team left, and the only one from Africa. After Morocco beat Spain, it became the only team from Africa. As many Moroccans say, “We are both Arabs and Africans.” Even more, after beating Portugal, Morocco became the first Arab, African, or Muslim team ever to qualify for the semi-finals. Even Algerian fans in Algeria supported Morocco, notwithstanding the state-level cold war between the two countries.
During the World Cup, the Palestinian flag and the symbolic kefiyah were spread throughout the stadiums in Qatar. Some news agencies reported that Israeli journalists faced unwelcome reactions from fans outside the stadiums once they said where they came from. One journalist in Qatar even took Palestine as the unofficial thirty-third team of this World Cup. This is not surprising in Qatar, an active supporter of Palestine, particularly after the Aljazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was shot during her reporting from Jenin. In Palestine, fans in Gaza and the West Bank celebrated Morocco’s winning streak. At the same time, in Israeli cities like Tel Aviv, Jewish fans, many of whom are Moroccan in origin, joined the celebration. So did Israeli Arabs.
As a result, the Moroccan national team made a practical contribution to a coexistence that escapes many politicians and diplomats. Many observers talked about the identity of members of the Moroccan national team. Several were not born in Morocco and held not only Moroccan citizenship but that of other countries like Spain, Canada, and the Netherlands, just to name a few. Some players were criticized as “not Moroccan enough.” After this World Cup, their Moroccan identity won’t be doubted. Moroccans are proud of their heroes, including those who were born in other countries but play for their parents’ homeland in the stadium.
For Moroccans, their team’s performance at the World Cup involved more than just soccer. Northern Moroccan cities like Tetouan and Tangier are permeated with Spanish heritage, and northern Moroccan Arabic, as well as the Amazigh (Berber) tariffit, mixes in a lot of Spanish words. Shared Moroccan and Spanish history and cultural styles are strongly blended, and the same is true for the urban planning legacy of the French and Spanish colonial eras. In Doha, the Moroccan Lions of the Atlas first sent the Spanish and Portuguese teams home, and in the semi-finals at Al Bayt Stadium, they did their best against the French. “An honorable defeat,” was the phrase that appeared several times on a Chinese social platform, paying tribute to Morocco’s achievement –which included its honorable defeat– in the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Reaction to the Moroccan team’s victories, and its honorable defeat, suggests the power of diplomacy from the ground up, overcoming regional differences and cheering shared achievements. That this success occurred in Qatar, an Arab state dedicated to using its “soft” power, offers a powerfully optimistic added plus.
By Dale F. Eickelman and Hao Ma
