Morocco are the biggest of world football after reaching the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, but the trip to the last four came out of nowhere and it is one that has been closely watched elsewhere in the region.
Four years ago, the Atlas Lions were placed in a tough group in Russia with Spain, Portugal and Iran, but could not progress past the group stage. This is what the story of Saudi Arabia in 2022 looks like. The Green Falcons were placed in a tough group with Argentina, Poland and Mexico in Qatar and impressed but could not get out of their group.
There is one connection between the two teams and both tournaments and that is Hervé Renard. In 2018, he was in charge of Morocco and now, is in charge of the French Green Falcons. He has had quite the impact in this tournament and, as he is under contract in Riyadh until 2027, probably in the next one as well.
As he watched the North African team lose to Portugal in the quarter-finals, Renard must have been proud of his old team for what they had done over the past month. He must have also felt a renewed motivation towards the team he is now leading. The parallels are as clear as can be drawn: what Morocco did in four years between Russia and Qatar, Saudi Arabia could do between Qatar and the US, Canada and Mexico.
Renard spent three and a half years in Morocco before leaving and swapping Rabat for Riyadh in the summer of 2019. He oversaw the Mohammed VI Academy, a world-class training facility which opened in 2009 with top-notch facilities, coaching and education. Graduates now include world-renowned players such as Azzedine Ounahi, Youssef An-Nesri and Nayef Aguerde.
The investment made and the grit shown at all levels – the women reaching the final of the Women’s African Nations Cup at the start of the year and becoming the first team in the Arab world to qualify for next summer’s Women’s World Cup – is there for everyone. To see.
This philosophy and policy is not common in the Arab world where there are a lot of federations, clubs and national teams that just want results and care about little else. Morocco’s success should be inspirational in showing not only how Arab teams can compete with the best in the world, but also the need to work hard behind the scenes.
Saudi Arabia is still on that journey and reforms have been made in recent years. The success of various youth teams is a testimony to this. The country’s U-23 team roared to the Asian title in June, lifting the trophy in almost Moroccan-like fashion without conceding a single goal. The group was quite tough, consisting of Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Tajikistan.
This was followed by knockout victories over Vietnam, Australia and then a victory over hosts Uzbekistan in the final, which broke the hearts of 35,000 passionate home fans. The U-19 and U-20 teams are also the defending Asian champions and have won the last two U-20 Arab Cups. Overall the signs for the future are very good indeed. The country is home to the Asian champions and it can be argued that the Saudi Professional League is the strongest in the entire continent rivaled only by Japan.
For those who have been following events in the country over the past year or two, the team’s exploits in Qatar didn’t come as a complete shock. The spectacular and well-deserved comeback victory over Argentina in the opening game was, of course, a big surprise, but much of the country expected the team to be competitive, if not actually losing to the team that would go on to become champions.
An unfortunate 2-0 defeat at the hands of Poland followed when the West Asian powerhouse did well but missed a penalty and came up against an inspired goalkeeper. It ended with a 2–1 defeat to Mexico. In a tough group, Saudi Arabia held their own and were close to progressing.
Morocco did exactly that and has something the Green Falcons clearly do not have – a national team squad that is bursting with players based overseas. This should be the next step for Saudi Arabia, who came into the World Cup with an entirely home-based squad. One positive is that there is genuine European interest in some of the players, given the way the team played there. Saud Abdulhamid has been linked with clubs in England, Italy and Spain. Mohammed Kanno is also on the shopping list. It won’t be easy for the pioneers, but if they can find their footing and make their way to Europe, others will follow.
That’s the dream: stars who go abroad to improve and bring back their international experience when they represent their countries, and opportunities at home to give youngsters some playing time and make a name for themselves. Let’s leave Then the virtuous cycle continues.
Renard would love nothing more than to see some of his players head north. He has already had an impact on Moroccan success and has already brought respect to football in Saudi Arabia. If history repeats itself, the world should get ready for the Green Falcons in 2026.