Morocco coach Walid Regragui said the Atlas Lions are ready to “aim for the sky” after reaching the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in 36 years on Thursday.The North Africans sealed their passage into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Canada which saw them finish ahead of Croatia on top of Group F. Regragui said his team’s performance in the first phase was down to a determination to “change the mindset” of Morocco’s national team, who had not advanced to the knockout rounds since the 1986 finals prior to arriving in Qatar.Now France-born former Morocco international Regragui says the team is dreaming of going further than the last 16 — even winning the tournament.”We set ourselves an objective — we said we wanted to give everything we’ve got and get out of the group stages. We can tick that box now. So why not aim for the sky? We needed to change and we needed to change our mentality. We’re not going to stop here. We’re going to respect every opponent. But we are going to be very difficult opponents. So why not dream about lifting that trophy? We know that African teams need to set themselves objectives. We’re realistic, but we know what we’re worth. We’ll take it one game at a time… But if we’re 100 percent and fighting fit we’re capable of great things.”Walid Regragui in 2022 🌟 May 30: Wins CAF Champions League with Wydad CasablancaAugust 31: Appointed Morocco coachNovember 27: Morocco beats BelgiumDecember 1: Qualifies Morocco to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1986. History maker. 🤗 pic.twitter.com/g0XHtxVUdN— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) December 1, 2022 Regragui, who only took over as Morocco coach in August after the dismissal of predecessor Vahid Halilhodzic, said he had been determined to model Morocco’s mental approach on European and South American teams at the World Cup.”Right from the beginning I have been talking about changing our mindset. We didn’t come here just to play and say ‘We almost qualified for the last 16’. We want to play our own game, but we also need to get the results and do as all European or South American teams do. We need to emulate them. I don’t see any teams here that have just come to play. They come with a plan. So there is the mentality change. We didn’t want to fall prey to this negativity. The idea is to stay strong. We need to duplicate the play of European teams, with our own values. That’s what I tried to do today.”Ecstatic Moroccans celebrated on Thursday after their team qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time since 1986.”We’ve waited 36 years,” one fan cried after the Atlas Lions beat Canada 2-1 to storm into the round of 16 as winners of their group.##NAJAVA_MECA_6854007##In 1986, the football-obsessed North African nation became the first African or Arab country ever to reach the knockout stages, before many of the current players were born. On Thursday, the iconic Avenue Mohammed V through central Rabat thronged with supporters wrapped in the country’s red flag with its green star, setting off firecrackers as drivers honked their horns.Heavy rain, a welcome sight in the drought-stricken country, cleared up before the final whistle as men, women and children poured into the streets to celebrate. Cafes had been packed for the match and even banks had closed early to allow people to watch.”I was stressed about the match but they blew us away,” said Houda, 34, who was watching at a cafe with her daughter. Morocco top Group F to advance to knockouts at the expense of BelgiumMorocco had gone from a draw with Croatia to a spectacular win on Sunday against Belgium before beating Canada, a huge boost for Regragui. According to opinion polls, a fifth of Moroccans believe their team will reach the semi-final, and national carrier Royal Air Maroc has put on special flights to ferry fans back and forth from Qatar.Maths teacher Mehdi Dida said his joy had “no limits.””It’s a historic moment to see the Moroccan flag so high and see our players give their all for their country.” © Agence France-Presse
