Moroccan journalist Nordin Ghouddani turned his passion for football into Mocro Inside, an online talk show that brings together Moroccans in the Netherlands around football, identity, and community, especially during major tournaments. What began as a simple lockdown project has grown into a powerful space where football becomes more than a game. DR ‹ › Nordin Ghouddani, a Moroccan journalist with 25 years of experience in the Netherlands, feels deeply Moroccan whenever football enters the conversation. «It makes my blood pump», he says. Originally from Taounate, more precisely the small commune of Beni Oualid, his parents migrated when he was just one and a half years old. From early on, his path seemed clearly defined: journalism school, followed by a career in television, reporting and hosting talk shows focused on politics and football. Lockdown football project Football, however, occupies a special place in his life, eventually giving rise to a project that now absorbs much of his time and energy. «When Corona started, I suddenly gained four hours of free time. I used to commute to the office for two hours going and two hours coming back by train», he recalled. Faced with this unexpected availability, Nordin decided to channel it into something he had long envisioned: an online show dedicated to football, Moroccan football above all. «I've always wanted to have a show talking about Moroccan football and Moroccan footballers. I bought Zoom, and I just started», he told Yabiladi. The first episodes took the form of a football quiz, bringing together professional players and regular fans. «We did a first round, then a second round, all the way to the final, and people really liked it», he said. The show was called Mocro Inside, a name born from a joke. «There was this football and politics TV show that had internal problems and stopped for a while. I made a joke and said: okay, the producer of that program, John de Mol, who is very famous in the Netherlands, called me and asked me to fill the gap and go 'inside'», he laughed. «That's how I came up with the name Mocro Inside». Initially airing once a week, then twice, the show featured one- to two-hour discussions about football, sometimes with players, sometimes with ordinary fans. It followed one simple rule: «Everybody is entitled to talk about football», he stressed. As football reflects broader social dynamics, the conversations naturally expanded. «During Corona, there were riots in the Netherlands. Young people went out into the streets. And I thought: okay, football is my passion, but I'm still a journalist», he said. Gradually, Mocro Inside became a platform for football, politics, and everything shaping the community's life. An online live show on Moroccan football With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar approaching, the journalist decided to push the concept further. Drawing on his experience in television, he wanted to turn Mocro Inside into a fully fledged live talk show. «I thought: why not make a live talk show here for people who can't go to Qatar but can come to my show? We watch the game together with the public and invite people from the football world», he explained, with the show broadcast live online. Funding the project required creativity. «Everybody worked for free, including the guests. The only thing I had to pay for was the production team, because I wanted it to look like a real television program», he said. He launched a crowdfunding campaign, received broad support, and secured a few sponsorships. The format resembled a theatre. Nordin and his guests sat at a central table, the «inner circle», surrounded by around 150 people. «We do a pre-match show, then we watch the match together, then halftime, and after the match we talk again. It's all live on YouTube». The first three matches were held in Amsterdam, at a football club venue. «Then we had to move locations because of Christmas celebrations. We went to Gorinchem and hosted the Spain, Portugal, and France matches», he said. «It was amazing. About 250 people, young and old. Everyone was crying with joy». For Nordin, those moments marked the emotional peak of the project, especially witnessing the collective emotion sparked by Morocco's historic run at the Qatar World Cup. «Football isn't just a game. For Moroccans in the Netherlands, when we see Moroccan players play, we feel Moroccan. That identity is pumping in our hearts». His audience spans generations, bringing together women and men, children and elders. As he prepares for tomorrow's historic final between Morocco and Senegal, one that could crown the Atlas Lions African champions for the second time after decades, Nordin remains deeply moved by the team's spirit. «They don't play football for themselves. They play for all Moroccans around the world», he said. Asked to name his favorite among the many players from the Moroccan-Dutch community in the squad, Nordin did not hesitate: Noussair Mazraoui. «He's a machine. He wins duels, he fights, and he's not even playing in his favorite position», he said, hoping to see the Atlas Lions roar once more and lift a trophy they have truly fought for.
