The achievement of Morocco during the 2022 World Cup continues to leave a lasting impression. Four years after the historic run of the Atlas Lions in Qatar, Axel Witsel mentioned the Moroccan team as one of the recent examples of a squad capable of defying predictions in a World Cup.
In an interview with Flashscore, the Belgian international recalled that a World Cup often holds surprises. “At every World Cup, there are surprises, a team that goes very far, like last time in Qatar with Morocco, for example,” said the Girona player.
This statement confirms the impact left by Morocco’s journey in 2022. In Qatar, the Atlas Lions became the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup, following a campaign marked by victories against Belgium, Spain, and Portugal.
Witsel also spoke about Belgium and the regrets of his generation, particularly after the semi-final loss to France in 2018. According to him, the Red Devils achieved great things with this generation, even though the feeling of having been able to do even better remains. The Belgian midfielder believes that today, some nations start with more certainties, notably citing France, Spain, and Argentina among the strongest teams.
As the new World Cup approaches, Morocco hopes to confirm its status established in Qatar. The Atlas Lions will kick off their competition against Brazil on Saturday at 11:00 PM (GMT+1), in a group that also includes Scotland and Haiti.
