Tears of joy, people kneeling down and praying, some hovering around waiting for the final whistle as the clock ticked ― and finally a big sigh of relief and loud screams as the referee declared the end of game.
These were the sights in Casablanca as Morocco took on Portugal in their World Cup quarter-final match in Qatar. The Atlas Lions won 1-0.
“It’s an incredible happiness, I can’t speak any more because I’m so happy,” Oumaima Louise, 27, told The National as she knelt on the ground, tears streaming.
An overwhelming mood of joy took over the city with people cheering and congratulating each other saying “Morocco always!”.
Strangers joined each other in dancing and singing to traditional tunes.
Thousands of people headed to Casablanca's city centre in their cars and on motorcycles to celebrate.
“They gave us a red card but there’s no problem we still won and it feels incredible,” Rayen told The National in the Ain Sebaa area of Casablanca, voice already hoarse from screaming.
With Saturday’s win and qualification to the semi-finals of the biggest tournament in football, Moroccans can dare to dream of ultimate glory.
For Fatma Ezzahra Bouraymi, 23, the feeling of pride was beyond description.
“I feel so proud, I hope we reach the finals and why not bring the World Cup home,” Ms Bouraymi told The National at the Sidi Mohamed Sports complex fan zone.
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Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
