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With a fervent fan base creating a home-field atmosphere, Morocco presents itself as Spain's last challenge on the road to a medal.


In the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics men's football tournament, Morocco stunned the United States with an impressive 4-0 victory, advancing forcefully to the semi-finals. They will face Spain, becoming the last obstacle on Spain's path to the medals.


Morocco is undoubtedly the dark horse of this Olympics. In the semi-finals, they will engage in a fierce contest against Spain, posing the final challenge on Spain's road to championship.


Morocco has shown significant dominance at the Paris Olympics, not only due to their excellent football skills but also bolstered by the passionate support of thousands of fans. Wherever they play, Moroccan supporters create a home-like atmosphere, cheering fervently for their team. During the group stage match against Argentina, fan enthusiasm even caused a temporary halt in the game, as some fans excitedly entered the field, resulting in a several-hour delay until order was restored.


Morocco, the U23 Africa Cup of Nations champions, boasts several players who were part of the championship-winning squad, such as Abd and Ilyas Akhmadz, who respectively play for Real Betis and Villarreal in La Liga, demonstrating outstanding performances. Al-Hanus, also a member of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations winning team, currently plays for Genk in Belgium and has attracted attention from Leipzig, forming a core attacking midfield alongside Abd.


Star players in the Moroccan team include two overage players - forward Rahimi, a key player in Al-Ain's victory in the AFC Champions League, has already scored 5 goals in this Olympics; and national team flag bearer Ashraf Hakimi, renowned for his impressive breakthrough abilities on the wing, receiving a hero's welcome whether in Paris or other cities in France.

Goalkeeper Munir, who previously played for Malaga and Numancia, is another overage player in the Moroccan team. Like Hakimi and Ilyas, he holds Spanish nationality. While many players in the Moroccan team were born in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, they have chosen to represent Morocco, reflecting the active recruitment of overseas-born players by the Moroccan Football Federation in recent years. Among them, Diaz (Real Madrid) and Saibari (Eindhoven) were born in Spain but could not participate in the Olympics due to club clearance issues.

Football standings
R Team
P Pts
1 Liverpool
29 70
2 Arsenal
28 55
3 Forest
28 51
4 Chelsea
28 49
5 Man City
28 47
6 Newcastle
28 47
7 Brighton
28 46
8 Aston Villa
29 45
9 Bournemouth
28 44
10 Fulham
28 42
11 Crystal Palace
28 39
12 Brentford
28 38
13 Tottenham
28 34
14 Man Utd
28 34
15 Everton
28 33
16 West Ham
28 33
17 Wolves
28 23
18 Ipswich
28 17
19 Leicester
28 17
20 Southampton
28 9
NBA standings
Western
Eastern
R Team
W L
1 Oklahoma City Thunder
53 12
2 Denver Nuggets
42 23
3 Los Angeles Lakers
40 23
4 Memphis Grizzlies
41 24
5 Houston Rockets
40 25
6 Golden State Warriors
37 28
7 Minnesota Timberwolves
37 29
8 Los Angeles Clippers
35 30
9 Sacramento Kings
33 31
10 Dallas Mavericks
33 33
11 Phoenix Suns
30 35
12 Portland Trail Blazers
28 38
13 San Antonio Spurs
26 37
14 New Orleans Pelicans
18 48
15 Utah Jazz
15 50