Two years ago, at Egypt 2021, Morocco returned to the IHF Men’s World Championship after a 14-year wait, ending up in 29th place after dramatically missing the chance to secure a main round berth.

The “Atlas Lions” led by as many as seven goals in the first half of their debut match against Algeria, only to concede a painful loss (23:24) that basically saw their hopes of progressing to the next phase go up in smoke.

Now, at Poland/Sweden 2023, Morocco are back in business and trying to establish themselves as a reliable African team after sealing the bronze medal at the 2022 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship with a superb performance in the third-place play-off against Tunisia.

A big chunk of that success came from goalkeeper Alae Laaroussi, who was named the All-Star goalkeeper of the 2022 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship, with superb performances in the competition.

Laaroussi is only the latest addition to a line of excellent goalkeepers, with Yassine Idrissi delivering some outstanding performances at Egypt 2021, where he had 70 saves for a 30% saving efficiency, the second highest number of saves in the tournament.

“Sure, coming and filling Yassine’s shoes is difficult for any goalkeeper because he had a lot of experience and played in France at club level. But I am ready, we are ready and we want to make Morocco proud once again,” said Laaroussi to IHF.info.

Laaroussi also featured at Egypt 2021, but it was difficult to break into the squad, as Idrissi was Morocco’s top goalkeeper. Yet, he saved two of the eight penalties he faced throughout the World Championship, his efficiency on penalties being in the top 10 in the competition.

When Idrissi took a step back, it was Laaroussi’s job to take over the reins between Morocco’s posts. He made the most of his chances, becoming the best goalkeeper at the 2022 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship. Humble, he credits his teammates for this performance.

“Of course, we are the ones that save the shots, but no goalkeeper can do it without his teammates. I was lucky to have a strong defence in front of me who really helped me, and it was an amazing tournament and a superb performance for me personally,” adds Morocco’s goalkeeper.

But that tournament is in the past now and Morocco aim for their best performance at the IHF Men’s World Championship since 1999 when they finished in 17th place.

In the preliminary round at Poland/Sweden 2023, they will face reigning African champions Egypt, European powerhouse Croatia and a team that will be making its comeback on the biggest of stages for the first time in 22 years, the United States of America.

The first match against the USA will be the most important for Morocco, as a win would cement their position for a main round berth. But did the “Atlas Lions” learn anything from their previous disappointment against Algeria?

“Two years ago, we were also aiming for a main round berth, and it looked good until it did not. That loss was painful, and it really hurt for a long time. But we all learnt something about it. We need to manage the game better, take our chances and get the best out of every match,” says Laaroussi.

The experience gained in the past few years will surely help a Morocco side that was quite raw at Egypt 2021 and proved their potential in the past two years, especially at the 2022 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship.

With that bronze medal, the first in 16 years, Noureddine Bouhaddioui’s side are aiming even higher, as much as their roster permits. Alongside Laaroussi, another Morocco player, right wing Hicham El Hakimy, was named to the All-Star team for that tournament.

Others, like left wing Ryad Lekbi, line player Nabil Slessi and right wing Rezzouki Reida, have also gained valuable experience by playing in France at a higher level.

However, Laaroussi remains upbeat and has high hopes at Poland/Sweden 2023. If he shows the same form as last July, Morocco can spring a surprise or two, especially if they play with the same motivation that transcends anything on the court.

“We want to win matches. That’s a given. Against the United States, we are playing against a team that is trying to be better and better, so it is a dangerous match, especially because it is the first in the tournament.”

“But if we play the same way we are used to, if we give it our all on the court, we will win. That is the most important thing and that is what we need to focus on,” concludes Morocco’s goalkeeper.