Shaista Fatima/ New Delhi

On 10th December Morroco scripted history at the Al Thumama Stadium, defeating the mighty Portugal to march ahead into the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.

In the process, they became the only African nation to have qualified for the semifinals, ever in the history of the FIFA World Cup. But it was the players' post-match celebrations that drew the world's attention.

After Achraf Hakimi’s penalty against Spain in the last 16, his mum was captured giving him a kiss on the cheek. He celebrated it in the same manner after the win against Portugal.

One of the heartwarming moments of this World Cup was to watch @AchrafHakimi go to his mom in the stands each time to share his moments with her ❤️ #Morocco #FIFAWorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/US8k6mh3K5

— Raj Nayak (@rajcheerfull) December 11, 2022

Well, he was not the only one. Several Moroccon players were seen celebrating with their mothers after full-time on the sidelines, as supporters cheered them on after their dream run.

Twitterati filled the space with players celebrating with their mums after their quarterfinal win over Portugal. In one such post, Sofiane Boufal's dance with his mother went viral. 

Sofiane Boufal dancing with his mum is the best pic.twitter.com/WdJbqUw5G8

— Ben Phillips (@benphillips76) December 10, 2022

I see 2 things in this picture:
- A mom who always believed in her son, carried him and encouraged him to work hard and big things will happen.
- A son who sees it and knows who was behind him all along.
Whoever took this picture, it is beautiful! 👌🏾👍🏾#Morocco pic.twitter.com/BrMdAChIoX

— Valery Nodem (@v_nodem) December 11, 2022

Nothing like a great sporting upset. Only thing that could top that are these incredible pics ever !!! 😁😁 What a beautiful moment shared with a proud mama :) MA #Morocco #Moms #WorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/otlv7Z072j

— Junaid Iqbal (@JiqbalPK) December 11, 2022

Morocco 🇲🇦 took down 3 colonial European nations in 10 days.

Belgium 🇧🇪
Spain 🇪🇸
Portugal 🇵🇹

If they defeat France 🇫🇷—they’ll win something bigger than the WorldCup; the hearts of formerly colonized people everywhere.

Moroccan star celebrating
Victory with his mom🎊😍❤️ pic.twitter.com/xqnsn5czOE

— صـــــد𝓈𝒶𝒹𝒶𝒻𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒻𝒻فـــــ (@sadafsheriff35) December 11, 2022

The media outlet, Al-Jazeera reported that Regragui and Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has ensured that family members chosen by the players receive an all-inclusive trip to Qatar.

🇲🇦Morocco National team gave the world a great lesson:Nations do not rise except through the cohesive family
And the cohesive family is not consecrated unless there is a Mother who gives you morals and principles.Thank you my Mom for all your support ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/uKp782nLCV

— Salwa Sahloul (@SalouaSahloul) December 11, 2022

"Parents are always there at the Wyndham Doha West Bay hotel, Morocco’s World Cup base, with Abdelhamid Sabiri’s mum and dad also familiar faces around the team squad", Lekjaa said.

Morocco's secret to success in Qatar?

Player family members have been invited to Qatar and stay in the team hotel

As a result, Morocco’s base at the Wyndham in Doha occasionally feels like an adorable parent-run summer camp

My piece for @AJEnglishhttps://t.co/5ILyMGYWQC

— Maher Mezahi (@MezahiMaher) December 6, 2022

Al-Jazeera quoted Regragui saying, "Involving players’ parents in the tournament is a deliberate morale-building strategy, our success is not possible without our parents’ happiness.”

In the semifinals, Argentina takes on Croatia on Wednesday, while Morocco faces France on Thursday.

The live telecast can be watched on the Jio Cinema app and Sports18 at 12:30 am IST.