Morocco made history by defeating Portugal and becoming the first African country ever to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.
This sound that you hear is the celebrations in Marrakesh, Casablanca and all of Morocco.
Youssef En-Nesiri’s header in the first half was enough for Morocco, as they sat back and allowed Portugal to get a lot of the ball but Bruno Fernandes hit the crossbar and smashed another over it and both Joao Felix and Cristiano Ronaldo (who came off the bench) held off the in-form Yassine Bounou in the Morocco goal .
Substitute Walid Chedira was sent off late in the game for two yellow cards, but Morocco held out in the midst of stunning scenes as their fans blew to the final whistle at Stade Thomama as they have now beaten Spain in the Round of 16 and Portugal in the quarter-finals.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui was the first African coach to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup and is now heading to the semi-finals, a few months after he took charge of the Moroccan national team. The team ranked 22 in the world beat a star-studded Portugal as Cristiano Ronaldo was shown walking off the field in tears at the final whistle as what was surely his last World Cup appearance ended in bitter disappointment.
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As for Morocco, they will now face the winner from England versus France in the World Cup semi-finals, where the Atlas Lions have kept four clean sheets in five matches and have incredible momentum heading into the final.
The intensity, defiance and faith behind making the Atlas Lions history
This Moroccan championship was shortened to 90 minutes. With their massive following in Qatar, they were a complete team unit and knew exactly what they were doing every second of the match. Their players presented with great flair when it mattered, were brilliant at the counter and are well organized and hardworking. They had 27 percent possession and never looked out of control in the game. There were champions in all of their squad and there seemed to be a complete belief that they could beat Portugal. And they did. History has been made.
The stars of the show
Sufyan AmrabatAnother display full of sharpness, tough tackles and leadership in midfield. What a championship he fought.
Yassin Bono: made a fine stop to deny Felix and kept another clean sheet.
How to watch the Morocco vs Portugal match live, broadcast link and start time
Starting: 10 a.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 10
stadiumAl Thumama Stadium, Doha
Spanish language TV channels: Telemundo
Running in Spanish: peacock (all matches 64)
Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the stadium crying after Portugal lost to Morocco. #world Cup. pic.twitter.com/YOp5UO7o8T
– NBC Sports Soccer (NBCSportsSoccer) December 10, 2022
What a rescue from Bono! Joao Felix’s effort from the edge of the penalty area was denied.
What a shot and what a rescue!
Morocco is steadfast against Portugal!#world Cup
(Across @employee)pic.twitter.com/R0sr9IFxPj– NBC Sports Soccer (NBCSportsSoccer) December 10, 2022
Great counters from Morocco whenever they get the chance. The affected side of the injury is fixed. There are just over 10 minutes left to organize. Can they hold on to making history!?
Bruno Fernandes should score. Just smash. This is a great opportunity for Portugal. His reaction says it all. # Mar 1-0 #POR
– Joe Prince-Wright (JPW_NBCSports) December 10, 2022
The second half is underway and Morocco is close to getting a second. Hakim Ziyech hits a wonderful cross from a free kick, but Diogo Costa saves because everyone misses it.
Bruno Fernandes hits the bar from a ridiculous angle. So close to a fantastic goal from Bruno!
GOALLLL! Morocco is ahead. That was coming. What a head from Yusuf al-Nusairi.
So close! Joao Felix’s deflected shot goes into the top corner but flies just above it.
😱 ¡Ojo a lo de João Felix!
🇵🇹 La joya portuguesa, tuvo la More Clara hasta ahorita del partido en sus pies # Mar 0-0 #POR #The World Cup # Thoughts pic.twitter.com/Qk5HBEi3ST
– Telemundo Deportes (TelemundoSports) December 10, 2022
Morocco was strong, but Portugal had a few half-time chances.
The main events, the players have to watch closely
Bono – written on his shirt by Bono – was sensational on penalties, but the Moroccan defenders limited Spain to one shot on goal. Romain Saïss was particularly good in the middle of the backline while Achraf Hakimi and Naseer Mazraoui were effective out wide, cutting forward and defending.
🚨 The national team lineup against Portugal
Quarter-final lineup to face Portugal 🇵🇹# Dima Morocco 🇲🇦 #Team_Morocco #world Cup @employee pic.twitter.com/5RpTXwqjJc
– Equipe du Maroc (EnMaroc) December 10, 2022
Portugal put Goncalo Ramos in the starting line-up for Cristiano Ronaldo and the 21-year-old forward scored three goals and added an assist against Switzerland. Bruno Fernandes was superb for Portugal, while Ruben Neves and Rafael Leão managed to get through the game with small sub-par innings and should rest if Fernando Santos, who is chasing a World Cup bid to claim the Euro title, asks them.
⏲ Chegou a HORA: Este é o nosso 11 Initial para hoje! 👥🇵🇹 # VistaBandera
⏲ It’s time: This is our 11th start for the day! 👥 #WearTheFlag pic.twitter.com/i7N6khiFag
– Portugal (@selecaoportugal) December 10, 2022
Morocco quick facts
Current FIFA World Ranking: 22
World Cup titles: 0
Number of participations in the World Cup: 6
How they qualify: Automatically qualified by CAF
Coach: Vahid Halilhodzic
Key Players: Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Youssef El-Nesyri, Romain Sayes.
Fast facts about Portugal
Current FIFA World Ranking: 9
World Cup titles: 0
Number of participations in the World Cup: 8
How they qualified: Qualified by UEFA via qualifying
Coach: Fernando Santos
Key players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ruben Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Cancel
“Student. Incurable problem solver. Amateur baconaholic. Introvert. Infuriatingly humble music fanatic.”