On Wednesday, Morocco, for the first time, will face France in the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The African team, which scripted history by becoming the first African and Arab team to advance to the World Cup semi-finals, has drawn the world's attention to it by putting up a fierce campaign and is confident that their dream run would extend to the finals.
But, despite the sporting spirit, the match would have a historical, and to a great extent, political context as both countries share a turbulent and complex past, that of colonialism.
Morocco, which was a French colony between 1912 and 1956, shares a close but fractured relationship with France. So intertwined are these nations that there is a heavy Moroccan influence on French culture, from food to literature. As for France, it is home to over 780,000 people of Moroccan origin, which means that today's semis will be a match of a friend taking on another for many in Paris.
It was in 1912 that France signed the Treaty of Fes with Morocco’s Sultan Abdul Hafiz thereby making the country a French protectorate. France went on to establish a colony in the African country and over 40,000 Moroccan soldiers were drafted to fight for France during the first World War.
But, resentment against the French began to simmer by 1952 when the latter smothered the anti-colonial uprising in Casablanca. Despite outlawing the Moroccan Communist and Istiqlal parties, the movement only gathered steam and on November 18, 1955, the country declared independence.
Despite that, they continue to share close ties, which is reflected in French President Emmanuel Macron backing Morocco’s plan of autonomy for Western Sahara under its rule. Despite this upswing, the relations soured in 2021 when France announced they would reduce the number of visas issued to Moroccan and Algerian nationals by 50 per cent.
For the Morocco team, nicknamed 'The Atlas Lions,' it would be a historical moment if they could see off the French team, though a victory seems to be a far-fetched idea at this point. That said, the Moroccans proved their might already when they ended the campaign of former colonial rulers Spain in the round of 16 with a 3-0 penalty shootout win.
More than history
At this point, both countries share more than just history. Three members of the Moroccan team, including coach Walid Regragui, were born in France. Regragui was born in the Parisian suburb of Corbeil-Essones and was associated with French soccer teams during most of his sporting career. However, Regragui's international career was exclusive with Morocco. Players Romain Saiss and Soufiane Boufal too were born in France.
