Morocco broke new ground by becoming the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Morocco's remarkable World Cup campaign reached new heights after Atlas Lions beat Portugal 1-0 to become the first Arab and African country to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Youssef En Nesiri's superb header in the 42nd minute was decisive for manager Walid Regraga's team, whose decisive defensive performance on Saturday ended an outstanding performance in Qatar, where they went for more than seven hours without conceding a goal. Target.
Even Walid Cheddira's red card in the third minute of extra time failed to eclipse the brilliance of their victory, no matter what, prompting an outpouring of joy from the tens of thousands of Moroccan fans that filled the Al-Tumama stadium.
The highly coveted Portugal, who had dominated the ball all along, proved unable to open up their rivals' backline despite all their possession of the ball and calling record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo off the bench shortly after half-time. weather.
The five-time World Player of the Year is set to end his career without winning the World Cup or reaching the final, but his departure from the bench has made him one of the leaders in the history of men's international football. . with 196 covers.
Morocco, whose incredible victory brought great pride to the Arab world during the first World Cup held in the Middle East, will now play either England or France in the semi-finals on 14 December.
On the eve of the quarter-finals will meet Argentina and Croatia.
Determined defender, cunning counterattacks
Morocco has already scalped Belgium and Spain in this tournament, but a victory over Portugal means much more.
He delivered one of the team's best performances in Qatar, filled with determined defense and astute counter-attacks, holding back a collection of world stars despite losing key defender Nayef Agerd to pre-match injury and his four-man teammate and captain Romain Saiss at the start. Second half.
Portugal will see this as a missed opportunity against the lowest-ranked team left in the tournament and a disappointment for the 37-year-old Ronaldo.
Morocco, once again cheered by most of the 44,198 fans, said they were tired after the last victory over Spain in round 16 and immediately went into defensive mode when Portugal attacked early on.
A fourth-minute Portugal free kick from the flank on the right was deflected into the box, and Joao Felix ended the game with a flying header, making a great save for Yassin Bunu.
But supplies quickly dried up after that, as Morocco closed the passages and thwarted the attacking Portuguese.
João Félix had two more halftime chances in the first half, but Morocco gained confidence and found a sudden surge in their stride, often interrupting counterattacks.
Second half drama
Left-back Yahya Attiat-Allah made several passes down the flank, giving Selim Amallah a good chance in the 35th minute, which he failed to convert.
But seven minutes later, a high ball from a full-back into the Portuguese box was met with a massive En Nesiri header past goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Rubén Dias to give Morocco the lead.
The disappointment of the Portuguese became evident when, late in the first half, they pestered Argentine referee Facundo Tello, complaining that several penalty appeals had been rejected.
Morocco came close to a second goal four minutes into the second half when Jawad El Yamik scored from a Hakim Ziyech free kick, but this time Costa was in place to block.
Ronaldo's 51st-minute introduction received a loud chorus of cheers but gave new energy to the Portuguese side, for whom Gonzalo Ramos, the hat-trick hero of their 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the previous round, missed. closure. -Headline at 58 minutes.
Bruno Fernandes shot over the bar five minutes later as Portugal continued their attack and Morocco began to sink deeper. Bunu saved Joao Felix again with seven minutes left as his opponents turned up the pressure.
But the Atlas Lions rearguard proved sufficient in the end as they held on for a famous victory, much to the delight of their raucous supporters.
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