The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals in Qatar, eliminating Spain on penalties in the last 16 and knocking out Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the quarter-finals.Their remarkable run ended in defeat to France, before they lost the third-place play-off against Croatia.Morocco were a surprise package then, having only previously made the knockout stage of a World Cup once, when they reached the last 16 in Mexico in 1986.This time is different: they are ranked eighth in the world, in between the Netherlands and Belgium, and two places above Germany.At home, supporters want to see their side play more expansive football than the largely defensive style which proved so effective in 2022.Walid Regragui was the mastermind of Morocco's run in Qatar, but he left the coaching job in March, six weeks after his side lost a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal.With home advantage, Morocco were favourites to win that competition but appeared to blow it when Brahim Diaz -- their outstanding performer -- failed to score a penalty deep in injury time in the final in Rabat.Senegal were so furious at the decision to give the spot-kick that most of their players stormed off the pitch.They eventually came back on, an unsettled Diaz had his kick saved, and Morocco lost 1-0 in extra time.Having faced criticism from a demanding public and media, Regragui departed to be replaced by Mohamed Ouahbi.Born and raised in Brussels, Ouahbi was promoted to the top coaching role after overseeing Morocco's triumph at the Under-20 World Cup last October.Days after his appointment, the Confederation of African Football stripped Senegal of the AFCON crown as a punishment for their walk-off protest, and handed the title to Morocco.An outraged Senegal are challenging that decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the whole affair casts a cloud over both teams as they head to the United States.They might not face each other at the World Cup, although curiously they will be based just a short distance apart in New Jersey.'Go all the way'But Ouahbi and his team –- led by Paris Saint-Germain's brilliant right-back Achraf Hakimi, the reigning African player of the year -- must try to focus solely on the challenge in store at the World Cup.