Paris 2024 Olympics: Moroccan football in full swing

A surprise semi-finalist at the World Cup two years ago, the men's team emulated that performance at the Paris Olympics.

After beating the United States in the quarter-finals, Morocco will face Spain this Monday in the semi-finals of the men's football tournament at the 2024 Olympics. Full of hope, the Moroccan team hopes to have the chance to reach the final.

"I have only one goal here, which is to win the medal ," Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi said of the gold medal.

A place in the final would be very special for Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, and who would play at his home stadium, the Parc des Princes, if Morocco were to qualify. Most of Morocco's matches have been experienced as home competitions for the team.

Indeed, in France, the Moroccan population is large, allowing the Moroccan team to benefit from fervent support in France. Moroccan fans notably filled the Parc des Princes during the victory against the Americans. The same will be true for the semi-final in Marseille, the oldest city in France, which has deep ties to North Africa.

" The fans follow us wherever we go. Let's hope it continues like this until the end of the tournament. We are here to make them proud of us ," Hakimi said. That support crossed the line at the Games when fans invaded the pitch and threw bottles during Morocco's 2-1 win over Argentina in the group stage, causing the match to be interrupted for about two hours.

In 2022, Moroccan fans lit up the Qatar World Cup, uniting many fans across the region as the first Arab and African team to qualify for the semi-finals and ultimately take fourth place.

At these 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Moroccans reach for the first time, the semi-finals where they have the possibility of winning a medal. For this competition, Morocco has selected the top scorer of the tournament, Soufiane Rahimi.

The 28-year-old forward was one of Sektioui's picks for the higher age categories. The men's Olympic tournament is reserved for under-23s, with the exception of three older players.

Rahimi’s selection certainly paid off, as the forward scored five goals. Rahimi plays for club side Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates and won the Asian Champions League last season, where he was the top scorer with 13 goals. Al Ain knocked out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in the quarter-finals. Sektioui believes Rahimi has the ability to play in one of Europe’s top leagues.

" Last year he was one of the best strikers in Asia and won the Asian Cup (Champions League). That means everything ," the Morocco coach said. "He has everything it takes… he's explosive, he's intelligent, he can score," he added.