Moroccan fan Abdallah Mchanna during the match.
Doha: After qualifying for the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Moroccan community members of Qatar Foundation expressed their pride in their national team and their beliefs that winning the World Cup can be an achievable dream – not just for Morocco, but for the whole MENA region.
Dr. Rachid Bendriss, Associate Dean and Professor for Student Recruitment, Outreach, and Foundation Programs at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, a Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university, emphasised that football is a sociocultural experience where communities come together.
“As Arab societies that face political and social challenges, we need something that amplifies our feelings of hope. And football does this,” he said. “What the Moroccan team presented to us in its last match was a reminder that we have the right to dream, and that we are capable of achieving more.”
Dr. Bendriss said he was overwhelmed when the Morocco defeated Spain in the penalty shootout round.
He also pointed out that hosting the Morocco vs Spain game at the Education City Stadium was special – as the values that characterize the Education City ecosystem were reflected in stadium, especially in terms of accessibility and inclusiveness.
Abdallah Mchanna, Arabic Creative Copywriter at QF, said that this historic victory was indeed a surprise – a very pleasant one.
“The enthusiastic atmosphere in the stadium, the tight defensive plan drawn up by the coach, and the fierce competitiveness demonstrated by the team, were key factors that contributed to this achievement – a historic win in the world of Arab football,” Mchanna said. “All the conditions were on point for this historic match – starting with the Education City Stadium, which is an architectural masterpiece, and the fantastic organization and support by the volunteers, and the electrifying enthusiasm of fans.”
Malak Elmoh, a Media Relations Officer and a QF alumna, celebrated all night with her Moroccan friends. She visited different parts of Doha, starting from one of the fan zones, to the metro, and then to Souq Waqif and Katara, listening to Moroccan songs and raising the Moroccan flag.
“Despite being away from Morocco that night, I felt a great belonging to my country. And in the heart of Doha, I felt as if I was in Rabat,” she said.
While Elmoh’s mother and father are on a visit to Palestine, the Palestinian flag was raised by the Moroccan national team on the grounds of the Education City Stadium.
“After the game, I called my father, he was crying. He said: we won, my daughter, this is a dream come true!” Elmoh said. “I heard cheers on the call with my father.
He told me that many young and old Palestinians had gathered after the game and were celebrating. “It is a Moroccan-Arab victory, on Arab land, and in the Education City stadium to which I belong. These moments will live with me forever.”
Raja Aderdor, an alumna of QF’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University and a QF employee, said that she cried after the game when she witnessed the victory of the Moroccan team at the Education City Stadium with her family and friends.
“I also cried when I saw a video where H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser was carrying the flag of my country. I felt proud that I belong to Education City and to Qatar Foundation,” Aderdor said.
“Football is a beautiful game – it brings us together. We are experiencing an unforgettable moment during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Qatar is our land, and here we are gathered as one heart, one world, with one dream.”
