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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
24 57
2 Arsenal
24 50
3 Forest
24 47
4 Chelsea
25 43
5 Man City
24 41
6 Newcastle
24 41
7 Bournemouth
24 40
8 Brighton
25 37
9 Aston Villa
24 37
10 Fulham
24 36
11 Brentford
24 31
12 Crystal Palace
24 30
13 Man Utd
24 29
14 Tottenham
24 27
15 Everton
24 27
16 West Ham
24 27
17 Wolves
24 19
18 Leicester
24 17
19 Ipswich
24 16
20 Southampton
24 9
NBA standings
Western
Eastern
R Team
W L
1 Oklahoma City Thunder
44 10
2 Memphis Grizzlies
36 18
3 Denver Nuggets
36 19
4 Houston Rockets
34 21
5 Los Angeles Lakers
32 20
6 Los Angeles Clippers
31 23
7 Minnesota Timberwolves
31 25
8 Dallas Mavericks
30 26
9 Sacramento Kings
28 27
10 Golden State Warriors
28 27
11 Phoenix Suns
26 28
12 San Antonio Spurs
23 29
13 Portland Trail Blazers
23 32
14 Utah Jazz
13 41
15 New Orleans Pelicans
13 42