Morocco Penned Down History – Reached Semifinals by Defeating Portugal 1-0

Morocco Penned Down History – Reached Semifinals by Defeating Portugal 1-0

The night of December 10, 2022, was special for football fans in Arabic-speaking Middle East and Africa. Morocco took down the fancied Portugal with a surprise with a 1-0 victory in its quarter-final game of FIFA World Cup 2022. Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the game with a header.

Morocco became the first African and Arab country to reach the semifinals of the 2022 world cup. The team had been delivering surprising performances in the tournament, one after another.

Just before half-time, Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the match with a header after leaping high in the air. It all happened at Al-Thumama Stadium when the team significantly blew the established order of football. After this victory, Morocco will meet France in the semifinal match at Al Bayt Stadium.

Arabic-speaking Middle East and Africa will be widely celebrating the victory. Fans will be more desperate to see their team make more progress in the final two matches. Although Morocco already defeated Spain and Belgium in the tournament, winning over Portugal holds a greater significance.

Moreover, Morocco performed much better in this match as compared to the previous ones. The team showcased canny counters and determined defending that helped keep the world stars like Ronaldo at bay. This performance came even after Morocco lost Nayef Aguerd, its key defender before the match. Besides, the team also didn’t have Romain Saiss, captain and Nayef’s back four partner in the second half.

On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo had a disappointing curtain call. His team missed a great opportunity against Morocco, the tournament’s lowest-ranked side left.

The Moroccan team claimed that they immediately switched to defensive mode once Portugal started attacking from the outset. They were feeling fatigued after winning over Spain in their Super 16 matches. However, the 44198-strong crowd kept cheering Morocco with their noisy encouragement.

Portugal did get a chance in the fourth minute in the form of a free kick. Joao Felix attempted a header at the shot, swung right into the penalty area but Yassine Bounou saved the day. Thereafter, Moroccans frustrated the opponent attackers by closing the passing lanes. Joao got two more half chances in the first half but it was Morocco who converted the chance.