Morocco’s Hakimi Leads Olympic Soccer Team to Historic Semi-Final Against Spain

On the way to a gold medal? After reaching the semi-finals of the Olympic football tournament for the first time in its history, Morocco faces Spain on Monday at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. A rematch for the Spaniards who will try to defeat the Moroccan Olympic team, the Moroccan senior team having eliminated La Roja in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Before this decisive match, Achraf Hakimi reveals his ambition for Morocco. The captain of the Moroccan Olympic team is aiming for the gold medal. "I have only one goal here, it’s to win the medal," he confided. The PSG Moroccan right-back therefore expects to reach the final. Reaching the final would be particularly special for Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and would play in his stadium, the Parc des Princes, if Morocco qualifies, estimates Mail Online.

The Moroccan Olympic team can still count on its supporters who encourage them to go far in the competition. The semi-final between Morocco and Spain is played on Monday at the stadium in Marseille, the oldest city in France, which has deep connections with North Africa. "The supporters follow us everywhere we go. Hopefully that will continue like that until the end of the tournament. We are here for them to be proud of us," said Hakimi.

The Atlas Cubs have qualified for the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in their history. They had validated their ticket for the quarter-finals at the Munich-1972 edition and had been eliminated in the 1st round at the 1964, 1984, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2012 editions. "We are a proud country, very proud. We love our country," said Moroccan Olympic team coach Tarik Sektioui. And he added: "We all love being Moroccan and it has taken a lot of work. As coaches or players, we are determined to improve and show everyone that Moroccan players can be world-class players and that the Moroccan coach can also be a good world-class coach. It’s just a matter of work and mentality." For its part, Spain won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and silver on three other occasions, including the last Olympics in Tokyo, where it lost to Brazil in the final.

If Morocco wins and Egypt beats France tonight, there will be a first all-African men’s football final at the Olympic Games.