Why Does the Morocco Coach Shout 'Rocky Balboa'?

Africa's First Semifinalist Morocco Coach "We Are Rocky Balboa"
Name of Unknown Boxer Who Defeated World Champion in Movie 'Rocky'

A scene from the movie 'Rocky'. [Image source=Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunjung Lee] Morocco advanced to the semifinals for the first time as an African nation by defeating Portugal in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. After winning the round of 16 against Spain (0-0) in a penalty shootout, they defeated the favorite Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Among the 26 players on the Moroccan national team, more than half, 14 players, come from immigrant families. Coach Walid Regragui is also from a French immigrant family.

In an interview with ESPN, Coach Regragui said, "We called ourselves the 'Rocky Balboa' of this World Cup. We are showing the world that success is possible even without overflowing talent and money. We have become a team loved by everyone in this World Cup," he added.

The movie "Rocky," starring Sylvester Stallone, first released in 1976, is about a legendary boxer who dominated an era. It became a global phenomenon, ranking number one at the box office and is recorded as the most successful sports film in history.

The protagonist Rocky Balboa was an Italian-American immigrant and an unknown boxer who also worked as a loan shark collector. Left-handed and impoverished, he was often just a sparring partner for other boxers. One day, the heavyweight champion, under the pretext of giving an unknown player a chance, nominated Rocky as his title match opponent. Rocky thought he had no chance of winning, but after intense training, he fought Apollo on equal footing and fought desperately. As a result, Rocky became the world champion in the movie "Rocky II."

Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay for this movie himself and also starred in it. Stallone, too, was born the son of Italian immigrants and likely experienced discrimination and cold treatment. Rocky Balboa was Sylvester Stallone himself. The United States, suffering from defeat in the Vietnam War and economic downturn, cheered for the success story of an underdog. Rocky Balboa became a symbol of the underdog, meaning someone at a disadvantage in competition, and became an icon of popular culture.

The Rocky series produced six films, including "Rocky V" and "Rocky Balboa," and continued with the spin-off "Creed." "Creed II" was released in 2019.