Moroccan World Cup Success Fueled by Strong Family Bonds, Says Former Star

Images of the loved ones of Moroccan players embracing their relatives and praying at the end of each match have been widely shared on social media. Achraf Hakimi or Sofyan Boufal have celebrated with their mother at the end of certain matches.

This presence and attachment to the family has led former Nigerian midfielder Sunday Oliseh to say that there is a great impact of mothers behind Morocco’s run to the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.

"African and Arab players are very loyal to their mothers. Mothers’ love reflects on the players’ performance. This is one of the reasons for their incredible performance," said Oliseh, who is married to a Moroccan (Hafida).

Moreover, the Nigerian had predicted the exploits of the Atlas Lions at the 2022 World Cup. Four years ago, he had declared on a Malaysian channel that "if the Moroccan team had the same facilities as the Japanese to prepare for the World Cup, Morocco would reach the semi-finals."