00:00Morocco broke new ground for North African football
00:03by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
00:09In the group phase, they stunned pre-tournament favourites Belgium 2-0,
00:14then edged past Spain on penalties
00:16before adding the scalp of Portugal in the quarter-finals.
00:22After 36 years, we are making history again,
00:26and we have celebrated it.
00:30We have been very happy, dancing and celebrating in the locker room.
00:34These days have been unforgettable and indescribable.
00:41France proved too strong in the semis,
00:43but there was jubilation amongst the travelling support
00:46for the team's history-making.
00:49It's more than a dream, it's incredible.
00:51It's national pride.
00:53It is historic what we are doing for our football
00:56and the lessons that we are giving ourselves.
00:58We are not seeing life as before.
01:00This changed our mindset.
01:02We are hanging from the lips of our coach.
01:04We can make it.
01:06We might not have the same chances in the game.
01:08We might not have the same infrastructure as the other teams.
01:12We might not have any hope to make it.
01:14But with a lot of heart and a lot of blessing, we will.
01:20Qatar 2022 extended Morocco's pioneering legacy
01:24for African football.
01:26In 1970, they became the first team from the continent
01:30to earn a point,
01:31when they drew one all with Bulgaria.
01:34Then at Mexico 86,
01:36they became the first African side
01:38to reach the round of 16.
01:48The first African nation to win their match
01:51at the World Cup was Tunisia,
01:53when they beat Mexico 3-1 in 1978.
01:57The Eagles of Carthage grew
01:59into an established international side
02:02during the 1970s.
02:03But it would not be until 2004
02:06that they would have anything to show for it.
02:12On home soil,
02:13Tunisia won their only Africa Cup of Nations to date,
02:17defeating heavyweights Morocco,
02:19Nigeria and Senegal
02:21en route to the title.
02:23The victory made coach Roger Lemaire
02:25the first in world football
02:26to win the continental championship
02:28in two confederations,
02:30after previously leading France to glory
02:33at Euro 2000.
02:42Algeria are enjoying the fruits
02:44of a golden generation,
02:46led by the outstanding Riyad Mahrez.
02:50The highlight so far came in 2019,
02:53when they secured only the second AFCON title
02:56in their history.
02:58And on Egyptian soil.
03:01Getting to the heart of it,
03:03we're African champions after 29 years.
03:06It's unbelievable,
03:07especially to be African champions
03:09away from our own country.
03:11The last one was in Algeria in 1990.
03:14African champions away is extraordinary.
03:19Prior to this,
03:21Algeria's greatest legacy
03:22on the biggest sage
03:23was being the victims
03:24of what became known
03:25as the disgrace of Guijong.
03:30At the 1982 World Cup,
03:32the Fenix caused one of the great upsets
03:35with a 2-1 victory
03:36over reigning European champions,
03:38West Germany.
03:42By the final match in the group
03:43between West Germany and Austria,
03:45with Algeria having already played
03:48their final group game the day before,
03:50the European teams knew
03:52that a West German win
03:53by one or two goals
03:55would qualify them both.
03:58After 10 minutes of an all-out attack,
04:00West Germany scored.
04:02Then immediately afterwards,
04:04the two teams declined to attack
04:06for the rest of the match.
04:10Algeria protested to FIFA,
04:13who ruled that the result
04:14would not be allowed to stand.
04:16Then later introduced
04:17a revised system
04:18in which the final two games
04:20in each group
04:21had to be played simultaneously.
04:30Egypt are an enigma
04:32of international football.
04:35They are record seven-time
04:38AFCON champions,
04:40but have only appeared
04:41at three World Cups
04:42and have yet to win a match
04:45on the game's greatest stage.
04:47Boasting English Premier League stars
04:49Mohamed Salah
04:50and Omar Mahmouche,
04:52the future looks bright,
04:54but those two individuals
04:56are outliers,
04:57with the vast majority
04:58of Egyptian internationals
04:59playing their trade
05:00in the domestic league.
05:02While this is a testament
05:03to the strength
05:04of the local competition,
05:05it is arguably holding back
05:07the pharaohs
05:08as a World Cup contending
05:10football nation.
05:13and he says,
05:13how far is going to be
05:13It's a true work
05:14Let's go.
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