Morocco is not finished but on the 2022 World Cup. The satisfaction of Africa and the Arab world defeated one more European powerhouse to succeed in the semifinals with a 1-0 victory over Portugal.
Portugal got here in favored to win and dominated possession the complete sport. However Morocco as soon as once more discovered a method to win at this World Cup in Qatar.
The sport’s solely objective got here simply earlier than halftime within the forty second minute when Morocco’s Yahya Attiat-Allah lofted a ball in entrance of the Portugal objective and Youssef En-Nesyri soared excessive and headed it down previous the keeper. En-Nesyri is the primary Moroccan participant to attain at two World Cups.
Morocco’s protection sparkled as soon as once more – notably the sensational play of goalkeeper Yassine “Bono” Bounou. None of Morocco’s opponents this World Cup — Croatia, Belgium, Canada, Spain or Portugal — has scored a objective (the one credited to Canada was an personal objective by Morocco).
Morocco is the primary Arab nation to go this deep right into a World Cup and, now, the primary African nation to succeed in the semifinals of a World Cup. Throughout Doha – and the Arab world – followers have turned out in drive to cheer for his or her Cinderella team.
On the FIFA Fan Fest in Doha, hundreds of followers squeezed in to look at the sport on an outside large display screen TV. They cheered each transfer, each shot, each time Morocco’s gamers touched the ball. As the sport ended, Tarig Saad was gleeful. He is initially from Sudan and now lives in Saudi Arabia. He drove ten hours to get to Doha.
“Being an Arab I am very proud. As a result of we love football,” Saad mentioned. He famous prime European rosters are full of African gamers. “As people we’re as skillful. We will do something.”
Requested why it is taken this lengthy for the African nation to have this sort of success? “The competitors could be very excessive. And soccer has turn into like an business. If we spent the identical cash as Portugal or Spain, we would be higher than Argentina or Brazil,” mentioned Saad
For a second straight match, star Cristiano Ronaldo began the sport on the bench for Portugal. The 37-year-old is among the most interesting to ever play the game however the growing older star hasn’t been his ordinary dominant self at this event (he scored only one objective). His substitute Gonçalo Ramos, who scored three objectives in opposition to Switzerland, did not make a lot of a mark. Ronaldo was substituted into the sport within the 51st minute. As the sport ended, he appeared to wipe away tears as he walked off the sphere.
It was the third time Portugal reached the quarterfinals (it had received its final two appearances in 1966 and 2006).
Morocco awaits the winner of Saturday’s late sport between France and England to see who it is going to play within the semifinals on Wednesday.
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