2026 World Cup: joy and disappointment in Cameroon after Morocco’s elimination

It is a little after 8 pm GMT in a bar in Ngousso, Yaoundé. The rare Indomitable Lions jerseys are more numerous than those of France and Morocco, facing off in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. But tonight, all eyes are on another African team: Morocco. In the room, supporters are divided. Some hope to see Achraf Hakimi and his teammates continue the African adventure. Others are almost impatiently awaiting their fall.

“Morocco has to go after this World Cup. It’s time for an African team to achieve this feat ,” says Fabrice, in his thirties, a regular in the neighborhood. A few meters away, his neighbor disagrees. “No, brother. Morocco already broke Cameroon’s record by reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. There is no way that country does it again and widens the gap in achievements with our team. You have to respect what the Lions did in 1990,” he replies, with a wry smile.

The supporters’ match

The match kicks off and quickly, France sets the pace. In the 4th minute, Dayot Upamecano heads a dangerous ball that is pushed away by the Moroccan goalkeeper Bono. In the bar, Morocco supporters applaud. “There you go, Bono is already into his match. Tonight, they can do it,” shouts a young fan dressed in a Morocco jersey. But the first frictions don’t take long. The French chances pile up and some Cameroonians start to believe in a Moroccan elimination. “They’re stifled. France is bound to score,” predicts a supporter cheering for Les Bleus. Then comes the first turning point of the evening.

In the 25th minute, referee Facundo Tello points to the penalty spot after Noussair Mazraoui fouls Kylian Mbappé. In Yaoundé, it’s an eruption… but not for everyone. Supporters rooting for France rejoice. “That’s a penalty, he clearly grabs him!” shouts a man in front of the screen. Opposite, Morocco’s defenders protest immediately. “Never! He’s looking for the contact. VAR will overturn that,” replies another supporter, convinced it was an unfair call. To no avail; the penalty stands.

Kylian Mbappé steps up. But Bono guesses correctly. The French captain sees his penalty stopped by the Moroccan keeper. Ngousso erupts. “There you go! I told you Morocco wouldn’t fall like that!” shouts a supporter. Even some skeptics applaud the save. For a moment, African solidarity takes over again.

“France dominates but Morocco is still alive”

The first half ends scoreless. During halftime discussions, everyone analyzes the match. “France dominates but Morocco is still alive,” says a former amateur footballer from the neighborhood. After the break, the debate resumes. The Morocco supporters hope for an upset, but the French keep pushing. The Moroccan defense holds, Bono makes several saves, and every French chance sparks opposing reactions. At the 60th minute, relief comes for Les Bleus. Kylian Mbappé shoots from mid-range and finds the back of the net. France takes the lead. In the bar, reactions are immediate. “That’s it for Morocco !” says a supporter who was waiting for just that.

On the other hand, Morocco fans refuse to give up. “One goal is nothing. We’ve already seen comebacks,” responds a young man, eyes fixed on the screen. But six minutes later, the final blow lands. Mbappé sets up Ousmane Dembélé, who doubles the lead for France. This time, the Morocco supporters understand that the dream is nearing its end. “This hurts… They had the chance to make history again, but at 2-0 it’s over,” sighs a disappointed Cameroonian supporter.

The “Cameroonian” Mbappé sends France through

On the other side, smiles appear. “Morocco remains the first African country to have reached a World Cup semi-final in 2022, but that’s it: no repeat for them. Especially since they’re used to saying they’re not Africans ”, says a regular, provoking some amused reactions around him. The end of the match is, however, in the image of Morocco during this World Cup: courageous. Hakimi tries to threaten from set pieces, Ounahi forces Mike Maignan to make a save, but France holds on.

At 90+7’, the final whistle blows. France is through, Morocco is eliminated. In Yaoundé, emotions are mixed. Some applaud France’s qualification led by Kylian Mbappé, a player of Cameroonian descent. Others leave with heads down, convinced that Africa has just missed another historic opportunity. “We wanted to see an African country reach the final one day. It’s still not the time,” regrets a supporter. See you in four years then…