‘We showed up’: Morocco’s World Cup performance fuels pride among Philly Arabs

The referee blew his final whistle, and the crowd in Qatar erupted in thunderous cheers.

Thousands of miles away at a banquet hall in Northeast Philly, a room full of Morocco fans broke out screaming and cheerfully chanting, jumping up and down as they celebrated Morocco’s victory against Spain on Tuesday. Pride and fraternity permeated the air: yet another win for an Arab team at the World Cup.

At this year’s World Cup, Arab teams have been performing perhaps better than ever before, defeating teams that are stronger on paper in upset after upset. The victories have been a source of immense pride and unity for Arabs of different nationalities who are scattered around the world and Philadelphia, as well as hope that their people and cultures will now be more humanized and visible on the global stage.

“Arab teams have definitely been making a statement: They came to play, they showed up,” said Amr Shahda, a Philly resident originally from Egypt.

Saudi Arabia’s defeating Argentina, 2-1, in what many have dubbed the greatest upset in World Cup history, kicked off the victories. Then Tunisia beat France, 1-0, Morocco beat Canada, 2-1, and then ultimately beat Spain after the tied game went to penalty kicks. The Arab teams were on fire, and their fans beamed with incredulous pride.

Many reckon that the performances this year could be attributable to the location of the World Cup.

For the first time, the international tournament is being hosted in an Arab country that is a quick and affordable flight for fans not just of Arab teams, but also Asian and African teams.

» READ MORE: World Cup is Life: Communities across Philadelphia cheer for their home countries

“The game between Saudi Arabia and Argentina was a surprise for everybody. But alhamdulillah, it gave a push for the other Arab teams to win against the European teams,” said Mustafa Laouine, who came to Philly from Morocco in 2019.

“There’s a big motivation for all Arab teams, with the World Cup in Qatar,” Laouine continued. “When you play the World Cup in an Arab country, you have to show the world that yes, we are here and we’re going to do something special.”

In Tuesday’s game between Morocco and Spain, for example, one Fox Sports commentator said the crowd sounded and looked like a home game for Morocco.

When Arab teams beat teams such as Canada, Argentina, and especially France, however, the victory feels a little extra sweet because of the historical and political context.

“When you ask anybody from Tunisia, Algeria, or Morocco — it was like revenge,” Laouine said of Tunisia’s defeat of France, referencing the fraught relationship between the North African countries and France after colonial rule and deep-seated discrimination toward North Africans in France.

Even for Arab countries that had not qualified for this year’s World Cup, pride and support have been surging— especially among and for Palestinians.

In nearly every game, there has been at least one Palestinian flag raised high in the crowd. During the Tunisia-France game, one fan ran across the field with a Palestinian flag, leading to the stadium chanting, “Palestine, Palestine!” And when Morocco posed for its team picture after beating Spain, team members held the Palestinian flag — not the Moroccan flag — front and center.

“I’ve seen the Palestinian flag everywhere, and it makes me feel like Palestine is playing in the World Cup, too,” said Atwa Abdelqader, a Palestinian who came to Philly in 2003.

This World Cup may be one of few — or the first — times that such a large concentration of Arabs has gathered in one place. And it’s that gathering in an Arab country, some say, that has given oxygen to the movement in support of Palestine at these games.

For Sara Fadl, a Sudanese American and senior at Drexel University, hosting the World Cup in Qatar hasn’t just been an opportunity for a diversity of fans to show up and support their teams but also an opportunity to highlight Arab culture and Islam.

“We live in a time where there’s a rising Islamophobia and discrimination toward Middle Easterners, and it’s a chance for them to finally showcase their culture,” Fadl said, referring to Morgan Freeman’s narration at the opening ceremony and the Qatari head scarves that have become the newest fan accessory at this year’s games.

“Especially for the people who come from the Middle East and live in Western countries, who face discrimination and prejudice for their identity, it gives them a moment of pride to see what our culture is on a world stage: Our culture is unique, our culture is beautiful,” she said.

For 120 minutes, the Moroccans put on the fight of their lives as they played against Spain. As the game went to penalty kicks, the Moroccans scored goal after goal, and their goalie blocked all but one of Spain’s attempts. Achraf Hakimi walked up to the penalty mark, with the weight of knowing his goal could win his team the game on his shoulders.

“This is the man born in Madrid. Whose mother was a cleaner in Madrid. Whose father was a street vendor in Madrid. Who Spain wanted to play for them,” a commentator said. “What a moment here. He can send Morocco through by putting this away.”

Hakimi geared up, shot, and scored as Spain’s goalie was diving in the opposite direction. The stadium thundered with elated cheers. Another victory, and another moment of pride, for Arabs all over the world.