Morocco beat Portugal at the FIFA World Cup
2022.12.10 14:01
Morocco beat Portugal at the FIFA World Cup
Budrigannews.com – Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals on Saturday, continuing their extraordinary run in Qatar with a 1-0 victory over Portugal.
A significant victory established new ground for the sport outside of Europe and South America, which have dominated the sport by winning each of the last 21 World Cups.
The outcome may also help to justify the contentious decision to hold the tournament in the Middle East.
Morocco became the third nation outside of Europe and Latin America to reach the last four thanks to Youssef En-Nesyri’s goal in the 42nd minute at the Al-Thumama Stadium. The others are the United States at the first World Cup in 1930 and South Korea, the co-hosts, when they reached the semifinals 20 years ago.
It is a result that matters a lot to the world of soccer because it shows that the gap between the best teams and the rest is closing. It also gives many countries that might have thought they couldn’t win the World Cup new hope.
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“I told my players before the match we needed to compose history for Africa,” said Morocco mentor Walid Regragui, who just assumed responsibility for the group three months before the competition.
In addition to beating second-ranked Belgium in the group stage and beating Spain in the last 16 penalty shootout, Morocco won on Saturday.
However, they were more ambitious against Portugal, despite their complaints of fatigue prior to the match. While absorbing the pressure with steadfast defense, they looked for opportunities for counterattacks.
In their five tournament games, they have beaten some of the tournament’s best teams and only given up one goal.
Morocco’s backline was without Nayef Aguerd, who was injured, and skipper Romain Saiss, who suffered a thigh injury after halftime. Portugal had chances, but not enough to panic the Moroccans.
Yahia Attiyat-Allah, starting his first game of the tournament, led the efforts with several frantic runs down the flank as Morocco waited for a counterattack.
He probably didn’t want to cross with as much height as he did in the 42nd minute, but En-Nesyri rose above goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Ruben Dias with a towering header to give Morocco the lead.
After the break, Jawad El Yamiq came very close to scoring with a header from a set piece, and Zakaria Aboukhlal, a late substitute, missed a chance when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper at the end of the game.
“I’m so proud, it’s unbelievable. One of the heroes of their unexpected run to the semifinals, where they will face either England or France, was midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. “It’s like a dream, unbelievable we’re in the semi-final,” he said.
“We absolutely deserve this. It’s unbelievable how we fight and play with our hearts set on our nation and its people. Our spirit, our injuries, the way three defenders defended, and our respect
Qatar, whose selection as hosts was fraught with controversy, can now bask in the success of an Arab nation. The victory of Morocco sparked jubilant celebrations throughout the region.
On Saturday, Portugal was the overwhelming favorite, and they will view the loss as a missed opportunity.
Bernardo Silva, a midfielder, stated, “It was a difficult game against a very aggressive team, very competitive as we had already seen throughout the tournament and against Spain.”
“Morocco has a lot of merit; Morocco eliminated Spain, Portugal, and Belgium, so it’s a selection with a lot of value, and the names don’t matter,”
Cristiano Ronaldo wept as he left the stadium at the conclusion of the match, signaling a possible end to his career with Portugal.
Portugal received a brief boost when he made his 196th international appearance as a substitute in the second half. However, the 37-year-old would not have a happy ending.
