Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Boune cried after his team lost to France in the World Cup quarter-final match. For Morocco, a team carrying the hopes of the Arab world, this defeat was a serious blow.
Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Boune cried after his team lost to France in the World Cup quarter-final match. For Morocco, a team carrying the hopes of the Arab world, this defeat was a serious blow.
France demonstrated its status at the World Cup early Friday morning by defeating the then North African champions. This victory secured their third consecutive place in the semi-finals. Kylian Mbappé scored his eighth goal of the tournament in the 60th minute, and then Ousmane Dembélé doubled the French team's lead six minutes later, concluding the match without dramatic events at Gillette Stadium in the suburbs of Boston.
A huge sense of loss was reflected in Boune's tears, a distinguished player who saved a penalty from Kylian Mbappé in the first half. Boune, ranked 10th among all goalkeepers by FIFA, received many compliments from fans for his play and for keeping his team's goal safe for most of the match against a strong French attack, helping the Atlas Lions stay in the FIFA World Cup tournament longer.
'Your tears are precious, Boune.' After the game, fans began expressing their admiration for the man who played not only for Morocco but also for the Arab and African world on social media. One user expressed hope for the future, stating: 'In 4 years. I hope Morocco makes it to the final,' referring to the next World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Boune's home country, Morocco, in 2030.
The Moroccan national team posted a message on Instagram to comfort the young goalkeeper, writing: 'Your tears are precious, Boune.' According to FIFA's website, Boune, who currently plays for the Saudi club Al-Hilal, started playing football as a child on an asphalt pitch in downtown Casablanca. Two trash cans served as goals, and a ball was drawn on the wall.
At seven years old, Boune watched Morocco narrowly miss the FIFA World Cup 1998 playoffs. Now, at the age of 35, he has become a key player for the national team. Fans assured the boy who dreamed and the athlete he became that he could hold his head high. The spirit of sport and athleticism were so strong that the French players also approached Boune after the match to praise his performance.
The Senegalese national team has experienced one of the toughest seasons in international football, and fans worldwide supported the team amid recent controversies related to the World Cup.
During the match, Senegal was leading Belgium 2-0 with only four minutes left in regular time. However, the European team managed to equalize. Former Manchester United legend Roy Keane believes that the Senegalese team 'found a way to lose,' despite playing quality football for 80 minutes, which led to extra time.
At the end of the match, Lamin Camara received a penalty for contact with Belgian captain Yuri Tilemans. For Belgian fans, this confirmed years of work, but for Senegal and its supporters, it reminded them of past unpleasantness. They were more upset that the foul was upgraded to a penalty after the referee initially ruled otherwise.
Roy Keane stated live after the match: 'The penalty is a bit harsh, and the referee looked at the screen for too long. You want certainty in the referee's decision, but he hesitated for a long time.' His broadcast partner, Gary Neville, also disagreed with the referee's decision, which he felt unilaterally eliminated Senegal from the tournament, noting: 'I sincerely do not believe it was a penalty.'
Fans on social media expressed distrust, calling the situation another 'robbery' after Senegal was denied the CAF title in January when Morocco was awarded a penalty in stoppage time.
However, Senegal coach Pape Thiau did not share this view, pointing to the loss of a two-goal lead as the main reason for the team's exit from the tournament, rather than a single refereeing decision. After the Wednesday defeat, Thiau said: 'We must congratulate the team that gave everything, but unfortunately, we could not hold our two-goal advantage. We must accept it. That's the game.'
As an unexpected turn of events, Thiau threatened to step down as the head of the Senegalese team if there was no change in technical staff. He wrote on social media: 'Today I announce that as long as it is the technical staff, I will take a break from working with the team.'
Tension clearly remains between the Senegalese and Moroccan sides six months after the CAF dispute. Following Wednesday's defeat, Moroccan right-back Mohamed Chibi mocked Thiau on social media, using a photo of the final score as a caption to his picture, writing: 'Go cry.'
