When an African team makes it to the World Cup semi-final for the first time in history, one might expect South Africans’ team of choice to be a no-brainer.
Less so — if social media comments are anything to go by — for Morocco.
The Atlas Lions have stormed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the bravest of lionhearted performances to beat Belgium in the group stage, Spain in the last 16 and, on Saturday evening, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the quarterfinals.
Coach Walid Regragui’s team have conceded one goal in the competition. They face France in Wednesday night’s semi-final at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
It might well be a bridge too far for a team, flying the flag of Africa and the Arab world in the first World Cup in the Middle East, to beat the defending champions and reach the final. But this is also the closest a team from Africa has come, and the continent’s best opportunity by a mile, to lifting the World Cup in a tournament characterised by shocks as smaller teams continue to close the gap on the giants of world football.
Yet in SA — a country whose relationship status with Morocco could at best be characterised as “complicated” — Morocco’s spectacular feat has somewhat divided opinion. Many are ecstatic and openly supportive of the North Africans’ achievement. Others are lukewarm or evenly openly unsupportive.
A frosty relationship between this country and Morocco politically over SA’s commitment to recognise the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in their fight for self-rule has long spilt over onto the sports field. When SA won the right to host the 2010 World Cup their main bidding competitor was Morocco.
The perception of Morocco as identifying more with the Arab world and even Europe than Africa has increased animosity from many in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet Regragui and his players were undeniably born in Africa.
A subsequent report in London’s Sunday Times alleged Morocco won the vote, but South Africa swayed Fifa through bribery. In some of the alleged mud-slinging Morocco attempted to portray SA as unsafe due to crime and the high HIV/Aids rate. The SA Football Association (Safa), under instruction from the government, voted against Morocco’s bid for the 2026 World Cup.
SA athletes and sports teams have been denied entry into Morocco, and the use of Covid-19 as justification by the North African country as a reason at times has been viewed as controversial. The perception of Morocco as identifying more with the Arab world, and even Europe, than Africa has increased animosity from many in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet Regragui and his players were undeniably born in Africa.
Given the World Cup is being held in the Gulf and Morocco are the remaining “host” nation for the Middle East — like Ghana were taken on as “Ba-Ghana Ba-Ghana” by South Africans in 2010 — it is natural the team will identify as flying the flag for Africa and the Arab world. Morocco beat former colonial powers on their way to the semifinal. Should any of them be more politically acceptable to South Africans or Sub-Saharan Africans?
Will France be more acceptable? France still takes tax from many its former African colonies. Should a French team laden with expatriate talent from Africa be a better team for Sub-Saharan Africans’ to support? Our answer is we don’t have one.
This is the beauty of the World Cup. Each individual of the billions who watch has the power to choose who to support based on their preference — sporting, political, ideological; or perhaps that country just has a pop star who appeals to them.
It’s the same with Morocco.
Most South Africans will surely abandon the frostiness of the relationship now it’s an Africa team in the semi-finals and jump up and down and scream for each kick of the ball by the Lions. Those who choose to do the opposite will have just as much fun.
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