MARK WOTTE wasn’t the only one celebrating in a restaurant in the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday evening and he’s not sure if there was a Moroccan present.
As mighty Portugal became the latest victims of the most mesmerising World Cup story, Wotte’s personal delight at the big-screen action was palpable.
The former SFA performance director was Morocco Under 23 coach from 2016 and 2019.
Seven heroes of the Atlas Lions squad taking Qatar by storm passed through his hands on the way to global stardom.
The scorer of the headed winner to clinch a last four tie against holders France was Youssef En-Nesyri, one of the more troublesome young characters Wotte encountered in youth ranks.
However, like many of his colleagues, the Sevilla striker is excelling at a major club in one of Europe’s elite leagues.
A glance at their squad list shows players at Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich, Sampdoria, Fiorentina and Chelsea yet Morocco were sent off 300-1 chances last month.
And, despite knowing several top performers and their ‘exceptional coach’ Walid Regragui well, Wotte didn’t argue with that dismissive pre-tournament estimate.
He still suspects the French will succeed where Croatia, Belgium, Spain and the Portuguese failed to get the better of them.
But it’s been a marvellous journey to the last four, one that Wotte thinks could inspire many nations.
Wotte, now with Syria’s national youth teams, said: “To get to the top four in the world is a massive boost for African and Arab countries.
“It’s very special. Morocco are representing the Arab world. In Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, everyone cheers for Morocco in this tournament.
“They’re thinking: It could be us in 12 years if we do things right. I watched the game in a restaurant; even people who love Cristiano Ronaldo were cheering Morocco.
“I worked with these boys in their late teens. To see them playing on this stage makes me very happy.
“I never thought a semi-final was possible. If you told me they’d knock out these nations, I’d have said you were crazy - even though I knew they had some exceptional players.”
PSG star Achraf Hakimi, midfield enforcer Sofyan Amrabat, flying full-back Noussair Mazraoui and En-Nesyri are among those Wotte worked with.
“En-Nesyri was a handful, not easy, a bit of a naughty boy,” reveals Wotte. “He came from a rough area in the city of Fes, he was always looking for the edge.
“We played away to Italy U21s and he had a big fight with our captain because he didn’t give him the ball. He was an angry young man.
“But he was unbelievably strong, powerful and very crazy about football. At that time, his heading was already fantastic. Now he’s top striker for Sevilla, he matured. He’s a winner, a fighter.
“He’s one of four who attended Mohammed VI Academy for five years - the perfect performance school set-up. Azzedine Ounahi was there too.
“But at 18, people thought he wasn’t good enough. I recognised some qualities.
“He was always on the move, box-to-box he was very comfortable on the ball. Okay, he was thin. But many of the Moroccans are physically late developers and, in Holland, we appreciate more the tactical and technical quality.”
If there’s one Golden Ball candidate among them, it’s probably midfield powerhouse Sofyan Amrabat.
Dutch-born, he was a toddler when Wotte managed local club Utrecht. Now Wotte is sure a blockbuster transfer to the Premier League awaits.
“Amrabat was mature and, after a couple of games, he was promoted away from my U23s,” Wotte recalled.
“We had a special connection because I coached Utrecht when he was a small boy and he went on to play for them.
“So he really enjoyed that I was working for Morocco. We still share some messages now.
“Moves to Feyenoord and Club Brugge didn’t really succeed for him but, in Italy, his qualities are appreciated.
“He’ll never let you down. He’s powerful, calm, composed with a super mentality.
“He’s a warrior who I’m sure will be in the Premier League soon. I got phone calls from important people in the UK asking about him in August when the price was £25m from Fiorentina. Now he’s worth double that.
“I think the teams that were interested - but didn’t move - might regret this a bit now!”
Wotte persuaded Bayern Munich’s Mazraoui, also born in Netherlands, to commit national football allegiance to Morocco.
“He played for Ajax U19s but wasn’t on the radar of young Dutch national teams,” Wotte explains.
“His father was a proud Moroccan and wanted his son to play for them. But the boy wasn’t sure about going to certain places in Africa, he’d never been before.
“I selected him for the Under 20s and, after his first trip to Gambia, he knew it would be alright.
“Like many young Moroccans, he was a late physical developer but technically very clever.
“Ilias Chair, the No 10 at QPR, was similar. He couldn’t get into Lierse U21s because he was rated too small but I selected him every time.
“Achraf Dari was the youngest of mine. I put him in our U23s and told him: You’re my Matthijs de Ligt. He’s not stopped improving.
“Achraf Hakimi was a bit more obvious! Already at Real Madrid then, he was only with my team a couple of times because he was so good.”
Vahid Halilhodzic’s sacking in August paved the way for exiled Mazraoui and Hakim Ziyech to return and for the camp to come together for the greater good.
Wotte said: “The President sacked the previous coach because he didn’t want to build bridges - with players who are now World Cup semi-finalists!
“What a very wise decision. There was often a bit of a clash between local players and those playing abroad.
“When the national team lost, it was said locals play with heart and claimed others play for money.
“You can see, though, everyone plays for the shirt, for the King, for his father or mother born in Morocco. That gives them a lot of power.
“Walid’s team, FUS Rabat, had an excellent academy. Every weekend, I watched young teams play there and spoke with him many times.
“He’s done fantastic to build a solid, strong team with amazing spirit. Moroccan players always have great individual skill.
“The wise decision was his defensive tactics, not giving away space. Only one goal against them - and it’s an own goal. What a story.”
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