Morocco's World Cup success not a surprise says former King's Lynn goalkeeper who represented the Atlas Lions
Quoting an old Moroccan proverb, "If you are responsible for a problem, you should find the solution."
Translated, it means take your responsibility seriously.
It is an adage that can be applied to the Moroccan football team who have taken the 2022 World Cup by storm after becoming the first-ever African side to reach the semi-finals.
But their success at Qatar hasn't come as a surprise to a former King's Lynn goalkeeper who donned the gloves a handful of times for the Atlas Lions.
Chuck Martini is one of the most colourful characters to have ever worn a Linnets shirt and is forthright with his views on Morocco's rapid progress through the tournament.
"They've got a fighting and collective spirit that new manager Walid Regragui has instilled," he said.
"He's brought back the love for wearing the Moroccan shirt as I know a lot of the players were very disheartened with the old regime.
"Walid is a native of Morocco, a former international and, like myself, he's a player that grew up and played professionally abroad.
"He's come in and done a fantastic job in terms of organising the team and there's an enormous spirit in that dressing room."
Moroccan players have made telling and considerable contributions to top European sides over the past two decades and that alone has stood them in good stead on the world stage.
"I was one of the first players to play for Morocco who actually played in Europe," explained Martini, who captained the Under-21s and won four caps for the senior side.
"Now the majority of the players are all professionals in Europe, plying their trade in the Champions League and the Europa Leagues.
"That is another one of the reason's why the national team has done so well at this World Cup."
Arabs and Africans around the world have joined in an outpouring of pride and joy at their nations remarkable rise on the pitch.
The African nation has already accounted for three European giants in Belgium, Spain and Portugal and now have France in their sights in Wednesday night's semi-final.
Martini, who resides in Qatar himself, said: "The impact of the national teams success has been phenomenal, it has been a rollercoaster of joyful happiness.
"It has unified the African and Arab countries through sport and you feel that warmth and togetherness living here."
Martini sees many similarities between himself and current Morocco custodian Yassine Bounou, who has only conceded one goal against Canada in the group stages.
"Yassine is tremendous, he was named goalkeeper-of-the-season in La Liga last year," he said.
"He was number two at Sevilla for a couple of years but has done fantastically well since breaking into the first team.
"He takes a lot of risks by coming out and trying to play with his feet, like I used to, and he's also a very good shotstopper, but the one thing he does have over me is his extra height and he commands his area so well.
"I was very colourful and louder whereas Yassine has a bit more of a calming influence."
Bounou has been forced to do it the hard way, spending his early days playing in the best academy in Morocco, while Martini's fledgling days were spent in the UK.
The 52-year-old's youth career took him to Tottenham Hotspur, Wimbledon and Leicester City before brief spells with Wycombe Wanderers and Barnet in the UK.
It was during his time at Leicester City that Foxes manager Martin O'Neil allowed the flamboyant shotstopper to join Lynn, on-loan, under the guidance of his former Nottingham Forest team-mate Gary Mills.
His time in Norfolk didn't get off to the best possible start as Lynn exited the FA Cup at home to minnows West Auckland Town in the Fourth Qualifying Round.
Martini was shaken and stirred as Lynn were humbled by a side who were ironically the first ever winners of the World's first international football tournament.
While England's 1966 World winning cup heroes are cherished by football fans all over the country, it was a team of coal miners from West Auckland Town AFC who first conquered the world many years earlier.
West Auckland took on the challenge to represent their country and won the first ever Thomas Lipton Trophy, later dubbed "the first World Cup", in Turin, Italy in 1909.
The finger was immediately pointed at Lynn's new custodian who, after the shock cup loss, said: "The goal was a deflection.
"It was coming straight through but deflected off Glen Fuff's head and I was wrong-footed," explained Martini – the first foreign international to play at The Walks.
"I was a little nervous at the beginning but I hadn't played for four weeks."
Player-manager Mills said he didn't see a deflection, adding: "We got what we deserved, we lacked quality and passion and didn't pick up any second balls.
"I'm disappointed with any goal, no matter how it goes in. We've lost the chance to play a league club, but good luck to Auckland, they got a great result."
It was the only blemish on an otherwise successful stint between the posts for Lynn where he soon became a cult-hero with the supporters.
During his two years with the Linnets, the Moroccan set a new clean sheet record of 11 hours 45 minutes without conceding a goal.
His incredible clean sheet run started at home to Bath City on March 23, 1999 and ended at home to Ilkeston on the final day of the campaign.
Reflecting on his time in Norfolk, Martini said: "I remember my time with King's Lynn fondly. I was the third choice goalkeeper with Leicester City at the time and Martin O'Neil asked me if I'd do him a favour by going to play for Gary Mills.
"We were struggling in the Southern League when I joined but Gary assembled some good players and we were challenging towards the top by the end of the season.
"I've got some fantastic memories and obviously the clean sheet record is something that I'll never forget.
"I wish King's Lynn fans all the best. They were good to me and I really hope they get back up to the National League."
After leaving the Walks, he played for a host of other non-league clubs before turning his hand to management with Godalming Town and Walton & Hersham.
The Meknes-born player, who has appeared on Al Jazeera as a pundit during the World Cup, owns the Premier League Football Academy brand that has football academies in Oman, Qatar and Thailand.
And his hard work is beginning to bear fruit with one player from his Muscat Football Academy, based in Oman, signing for FC Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie, another joining Aston Villa in the Premier League and two linking up with Italian outfit Genoa.
It is also further evidence that football in the African and Arab nations has never been in a better place as all concerned take the responsibility seriously.
