Morocco's 'Niya' defeat of Spain's 'Tiki-Taka' shores up Arab and African 'pride' on Moroccan streets

From Doha to Casablanca, ecstasy, tears and pride enveloped the region on Tuesday night as Morocco became the first Arab country in history and the first African country since 2010 to reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

After a goalless match, Morocco's Achraf Hakimi scored the third winning penalty driving the Education city stadium into tears - Moroccan fans in happy tears and Spanish fans in sheer anguish.

Jubilant beyond words, cheerful crowds packed the streets of the Moroccan kingdom's cities, singing and cheering for a win that many did not dare to dream about.

"Coach Reguragui said it. Just have 'Niya' and the ball will hit the crossbar. We had 'Niya' in them and they made us happy," Yassir, a 25-year-old Moroccan fan celebrating in Rabat, told The New Arab.

A thread showcasing joy in Mâarif, Casablanca after tonight’s game 🇲🇦#morocco_spain #المغرب_اسبانيا #QatarWorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/TT4vRLFnvv

— kenzayousfi (@kenzayousfi) December 6, 2022

In this context, 'Niya' means the good intention in a nation's heart. Ahead of every match, Morocco's coach Reguragui urged Moroccan fans to have 'Niya', i.e. believe in their team and manifest positive results.

So far, Reguragui's 'Niya' and Buono's goalkeeping skills have kept Morocco's net safe from opponents, except for their own player Nayef Aguerd's goal during the match against Canada.

In Rabat, Morocco's king Mohammed VI joined the celebrating crowd, sporting the Atlas Lions' kit and waving the Moroccan flag from his car - a rare scene that enflamed further the ambience.

🇲🇦🇪🇸| Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI, habillé d'un maillot de l'équipe nationale, fête la qualification du Maroc aux quarts de finale à Rabat avec le peuple marocain.pic.twitter.com/YaDqesiDkB

— Morocco Intelligence (@MoroccoIntel) December 6, 2022

The Palestinian flag, an amulet of good luck for the Moroccan team, accompanied the all-night celebrations in the capital, a few meters away from the palace where the normalisation deal with Tel Aviv was signed two years ago.

In Oran, crowds in the city's popular cafes jumped in happiness hugging and cheering with friends after Atlas Lions broke a decade-long absence of African teams in World Cup's quarterfinals competitions.

"Our leaders can have their political issues. But today we stand with Morocco. It's our neighbour. It represents all of us. I am beyond happy," Sa'id, a 46-year-old Algerian football fan, told TNA.

Alger en feu ce soir 🔥 #خاوة_خاوة 🇲🇦 🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/A6uJAyt6ap

— Omar H. 🇲🇦 (@Omar_H_) December 6, 2022

Similar scenes were witnessed from Dakar to Gaza, as Africans and Arabs all embraced Moroccans, and political and regional disputes - from Western Sahara to Palestine - seemed to have been set aside, at least for one night.

Morocco is set to face Portugal Saturday at 15 GMT in the quarter-finals match. 

Emboldened by 'Niya' and a team of 'impossibilities', Moroccans today dream not only of defeating Ronaldo's Portugal but even of winning the World Cup itself.