Achraf Hakimi’s match-winning penalty in Morocco’s final-16 victory over Spain on 6 December precipitated celebrations in cities around Europe
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A Panenka penalty straight down the center of the purpose.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon dives to his honest and will get nowhere shut to the ball. Achraf Hakimi, born in Madrid however belonging to Morocco, sets off in party.
His manager and team-mates lunge on to the pitch in pursuit. And, around the world, the celebrations launch.
On London’s Edgware Facet road, the automobile horns blare lengthy and loud. Smoke from the flares cloaks the Christmas lights. Flags flap in the chilly December air.
In Paris, in Berlin, in Rotterdam, the photos are the identical.
Then another time, in the Spanish metropolis of Valencia, it is a ways a chunk of more complicated. Morocco’s final-16 win over Spain at the 2022 World Cup brought the past and prove into warfare.
Lina Achafik is a scholar. Born in Casablanca, she study at the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
“For me in my concept once we won in opposition to Spain, I might well perhaps perhaps no longer breeze to uni the subsequent day,” she acknowledged.
“The uni discussion groups were no longer looking honest. There turned into plenty of loathe and I did no longer feel precise to cross.
“The game in opposition to Spain turned into a chunk of bit utterly different because of this of of the history that we get.
“Whether we won or lost, we were going to snatch it very in my concept. And so were they. The hateful feedback from the chat had nothing to achieve with the game.
“It turned into more about the colonisation, the indisputable truth that we attain right here to snatch their alternatives and stuff esteem that.
“Or no longer it is fully heated.”
Achafik’s study get taken her from Morocco to Spain, a toddle replicated by about 800,000 of her compatriots
The warmth comes from a tangled history.
The prove-day stress between the two countries is most sure in the twin coastal towns of Ceuta and Melilla. They were pockets of Spanish territory on African soil for roughly 500 years.
Morocco, on whose northern Mediterranean wing they are positioned, claim Ceuta and Melilla might well perhaps perhaps smooth revert to its retain watch over.
The border between Morocco and the two towns has turn right into a flashpoint in household – with African migrants making an are trying to disagreeable into Ceuta and Melilla as a route into Europe.
In June 2022, at least 37 migrants died, exterior-linkcrushed to dying between six-metre-high fences as the Moroccan border guards extinct high-tail gasoline and batons to help support crowds making an are trying to enter Melilla.
Morocco’s have an effect on spreads a ways all the blueprint by blueprint of the Mediterranean Sea and support into Spain’s history.
In Andalusia, there is a mountainous Islamic, Berber and Moorish have an effect on that has fashioned Spanish culture, language and structure.
Valencia, the attach apart Achafik study, turned into once in most cases known as Medina al-Turab – the metropolis of sand – and monuments that might well perhaps hint their history support to 14th century Arab rule dot the metropolis.
As of late, more than 800,000 Moroccans are living in Spain, making them the largest expatriate population.
“Or no longer it is the closest European nation to Morocco so it be the very top to cross to,” explained Achafik.
Taoufiq M is another Moroccan who moved to Spain, even though he has since returned to the capital Rabat, the attach apart he watched that final-16 win at the World Cup.
“It turned into an emotional rollercoaster,” he acknowledged. “The drama turned into very intense. Fortunately it had a gay ending for us which gave us lot of satisfaction and plenty of hope to center of attention on in miracles.
“It turned into very satisfying to beat Spain because of this of of the lengthy history, the lengthy rivalry between us and them, no longer fully in the sports activities, however moreover militarily, politically and economically. It turned into an extraordinarily candy result to get one support on them.”
Morocco fans in the Spanish metropolis of Crevillent get a excellent time their team’s victory over Spain at the World Cup
In Valencia, the attach apart Achafik watched the match, there turned into a heavy police presence someday of every game of the Atlas Lions’ marketing and marketing campaign.
“Whenever there turned into a game with Morocco there turned into plenty of police outdoors because of this of they know that there turned into plenty of Moroccans right here,” she acknowledged.
“Or no longer it is no longer a honest feeling that the police were fully out when Morocco turned into playing,