Morocco Made history by becoming the first country from Africa to ever reach the semi final of the world cup after recording a dramatic 1-0 win over European powerhouse Portugal at the al-thumama stadium on Saturday.
Striker Youssef En Nesyri scored the only goal of the match late in the first half to secure the win for the Atlas Lions who will later have a man sent off for a second yellow card.
A testy opening 15 minutes saw two strong teams compete, with Portugal’s versatile offense attempting to find a way through Morocco’s solid defense. As with previous games Morocco appeared comfortable letting the opponent retain possession as the Atlas Lions applied well-coordinated moments of pressure.
The following ten minutes saw Portugal attempt to find a way past Morocco via several long passes aimed at 23-year old speedy left winger João Félix, but as soon as the ball would move towards goal, Morocco was quick to apply pressure.
As the first thirty minutes of the match concluded, Portugal struggled to produce significant chances at goal despite retaining the majority of possession, with frustration on the face of coach Fernando Santos.
Clever technical play and precise quick passes in Morocco’s back half often led the Atlas Lions to play their way toward the Portuguese goal. Both teams exchanged several high shots at goal, often without needing intervention from the goalkeepers.
While the colors worn by fans at the Al Thumama Stadium were remarkably similar given both country’s national colors, Morocco’s fans stood out with loud
In the 41st minute, Morocco opened the score with a strong header by 1.88 meter tall striker Youssef En-Nesyri off a curling ball into the box. Minutes later Morocco needed a bit of luck as a shot by Bruno Fernandes rocketed off the top bar of Morocco’s goal and the Portuguese appealed for a penalty after a dive by.their striker at the end of the first half.
The second half started much like the end of the first, with Portugal retaining possession and attempting to find space via the wings. The first proper chance however came minutes later as a Ziyech free kick was headed against Portuguese goalie Costa.
In the 50th minute, the Portuguese press got what they had been repeatedly urging their head coach to do, as Christiano Ronaldo was subbed into the game. After weeks of debate in Portugal about Ronaldo’s position in the team, the 37-year old fading superstar appeared eager to put the debate to rest.
A quick counter by Morocco saw a long-range shot by 22-year old midfielder Azzedine Ounahi sail over the Portuguese goal after a promising attacking move by the Atlas Lions.
The excitement ended quickly however for Morocco’s captain and reliable central defender Romain Saiss, who was taken off injured, with winger Hakim Ziyech taking the captain’s band.
As the match progressed past the 66th minute, the Al Thumama Stadium increasingly sounded like a home game for Morocco as the roar of the Moroccan fans rang around the stadium, followed by their piercing whistles whenever Portugal gained possession of the ball. The crowd’s support was clearly needed as the Moroccan players started showing signs of tiredness.
Despite Morocco’s tough defensive play, the match remained sportsmanlike without needlessly rough tackles. With the first yellow card for Morocco being handed out in the 69th match, the match contrasted heavily with the previous night’s hostile game between Argentina and the Netherlands.
The captain’s band was exchanged once more as star player Ziyech handed it to Sofyan Amrabat as the winger was substituted in the 80th minute after a seemingly light injury. Moroccan goalkeeper Bono then saved Morocco twice,with an incredible stretched save and a deflection after a Portuguese corner kick.
In the second minute of an eight-minute extra time, forward Walid Cheddira was sent off with his second yellow card, adding more pressure and drama to the match in its final moments.
Morocco then failed to convert a clear opportunity after forward Zakaria Aboukhlal missed a one-on-one with Portugal’s keeper.
