Tens of thousands of Moroccans throng the capital to welcome home their national football team, the first African/Arab team ever to reach the semi-final of a World Cup. Morocco finished in fourth place after losing 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place play-off on Saturday
The players wave from an open-top bus in central Rabat, accompanied by dozens of police cars and motorbikes with flashing lights and wailing sirens.
Morocco defeated elite teams, beating second-ranked Belgium, stunning 2010 champions Spain in a penalty shootout in the last 16, and continuing their impressive run with a 1-0 win against 2016 European champions Portugal, before stumbling against the defending champions France.
The Atlas Lions had earlier emerged top of Group F, which had Canada, Croatia and Belgium.
The players’ record-setting performance earned them a special celebration by fans, as police stood guard in the streets of Rabat. Big crowds lined the streets and the rest of the North African kingdom for the homecoming.
