Achraf Hakimi was on the spot. The Atlas Lions’s Spanish-born superstar wing back had the chance to send Morocco through to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time ever.
So when, following the nerve-racking penalty shootout against Spain, Hakimi ever-so-easily kicked the ball into the net at Education City Stadium in Qatar, thousands of spectators collectively heaved a huge sigh of relief – and then they roared.
Safa, 39, said she “didn’t expect” Morocco to make it this far.
“We are so glad … the next game we will win 1-0 inshallah,” the Casablanca resident told Al Jazeera.
Safa, who was also at Morocco’s game against Canada on December 1, said the hype from the fans inside the stadium probably also had a “positive impact” on the players.
A cacophony of cheering, singing and drumming overtook the stadium as soon as the historic match began.
Reaching the quarter-finals was an unspeakable feat, adding to the successes of Arab teams Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, which beat Argentina and France, respectively, despite their eventual exit from the World Cup.
The wave of support in the stadium was deafening as Morocco became the first Arab nation and fourth African country to advance to the last eight of football’s greatest tournament.
‘We made history’
“It is a dream come true, I have no words to express my happiness,” Fadoua Chernane told Al Jazeera.
“They are our heroes, they made us proud today, no matter if we win the World Cup or not, we have made history today,” the 42-year-old said.
As the celebrations quickly spread across Doha, Arab fans took to Twitter to share pictures of Hakimi hugging and kissing his mother, who had been cheering him on from the bleachers.
Morocco’s players had also help up the flag – which has featured several times through the tournament – after their win against Canada last week.
Some pointed out that the presence of the Palestinian flag and the choruses to “Free Palestine” at the tournament proved that Arabs – unlike their rulers – remained supportive of the Palestinian cause.
A country that is a signatory to the Abraham accords – this is how the people feel https://t.co/DRBG5IUDk5
An ESPN reporter noted that “Every North African and Middle East team has made sure that the Palestine issue is prominent at every game”.
Morocco celebrate their win against Spain with a Palestinian flag. Every North African and Middle East team has made sure that the Palestine issue is prominent at every game pic.twitter.com/ZJU2Dog9Ee
Moroccans celebrating their team’s historic World Cup victory were joined by people across the Middle East and North Africa in what was seen as a win for the entire Arab world.
Morocco carrying the African continent, the Arab and the Muslim world ???????? pic.twitter.com/udZ0ykgfDp
In Morocco’s capital Rabat, where fans had crowded into cafes hours before to watch the game, people jammed downtown roads leading to a square where supporters had celebrated after previous Moroccan victories, flags waving from their windows and horns furiously honking.
“It’s the first time I had this feeling!” said Fahd Belbachir, on his way to the city centre. “We’re so proud.”
Brahim Ait Belkhit said the spontaneous mood of joy was so great he had patched up a feud with somebody he had avoided for years and then saw in the street.
“It made us forget our old quarrel,” he said.
Leaders from across the Arab world showered praise on the Moroccan side.
“Congratulations to the Atlas Lions, you delighted us. Wow Morocco, you did it again!,” Queen Rania of Jordan wrote on Twitter.
مبرووووووك لأسود الأطلس فرحتونا????????
Wow #Morocco! You did it again#اسود_الاطلس
Cheers resounded from Tunis and Beirut to Baghdad, Ramallah and other cities as Arabs came together to rejoice at the largely unexpected win over Spain – a contrast to the political disputes that have long divided Arab states.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.
ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.
The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.
The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.
Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.
His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.
Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.
He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.
The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.
Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.
He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.
George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.
Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.
In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.
St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
ON DECK
Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.
The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
