'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has expressed his delight at his team beating Brazil just hours after breaking their Ramadan fast.
The Atlas Lions were one of the biggest surprise packages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They made their way into the semifinals of the competition, much to the amusement of many.
Morocco showed that their dream run on the grand stage was no fluke as they beat the likes of Belgium, Spain and Portugal along the way. Their journey eventually came to an end after losing 2-0 to France in the semifinal.
Regragui and Co. are determined to prove that they are capable of maintaining the standards they displayed in Qatar. They did exactly that when they hosted five-time world champions Brazil in a friendly on Saturday (March 25).
The Atlas Lions earned a 2-1 victory over the South American giants in their first game since the World Cup. Sofiane Boufal and Abdelhamid Sabiri found the back of the net for them, while Casemiro netted for the visitors.
Morocco coach Regragui revealed that it had only been hours since his players broke their Ramadan fast and completed the Tarawih prayer when they took to the field. He added that it made the win against Brazil much sweeter, saying [via @eurofootcom on Twitter]:
"We beat Brazil, in the middle of Ramadan, after the Tarawih prayer, It's crazy!"
People who follow the religion of Islam view the Arabic month of Ramadan as holy and fast from dawn to dusk during this period. Since Morocco is predominantly a Muslim country, most, if not all, Atlas Lions players are also believed to be fasting these days.
For further context, Tariwih is a special prayer Muslims perform at night during the month of Ramadan.
Morocco star Sofiane Boufal reacts to beating Brazil
It was Sofiane Boufal who opened the scoring for Morocco against Brazil on Saturday. He combined with youngster Bilal El Khannouss to find a way past Canarinho goalkeeper Weverton 29 minutes into the game.
Speaking after the game, the Al-Rayyan attacker revealed that the Atlas Lions are delighted to build on the momentum they had at the World Cup. Boufal told Telefoot:
"We're still dreaming! We're continuing our momentum from the World Cup and it's a pleasure."
Walid Regragui and Co. will look to end the international break on a high with another win against Peru on Tuesday (March 28).
