Up to this point in the FIFA 2022 World Cup, Morocco has had a memorable journey! In order to advance to the quarterfinals, where they played against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, one of the tournament favorites, they had to defeat teams like Belgium and Spain. In yet another unexpected surprise, Morocco advanced to the FIFA 2022 semifinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Portugal. Ronaldo’s Portugal, who were on the losing end of the match, were eliminated from the competition.
Portugal started the game off by kicking things off and holding early ball possession. Within the first 15 minutes, Portugal launched several attacks, including a fierce free kick by Fernanzdez, but nothing was successful. Ziyech of Morocco also retaliated with a strong counterattack, cutting inside and firing from outside the box with a shot that missed the target.
Yahya Attiat-Allah, a left defender, had a good opportunity to score 35 minutes into the first half when he made several darting runs down the flank and crossed the ball to Selim Amallah, who was positioned inside the box, but he was unable to finish. Youssef En Nesyri scores Morocco’s opening goal after 42 minutes after a poor clearance by Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa allowed a Moroccan fullback to throw in a high ball into the Portuguese box. En Nesyri out jumped Ruben Dias and the Portuguese goalie with his powerful header.
As the first half came to a close, Fernandes came dangerously close to giving Portugal the equalizer with a thunderous volley from just beyond the box that beat Moroccan goalkeeper Bounou and shattered the bar before being cleared away by the Moroccan defense. Ultimately, the first half finished in a scoreless stalemate. The pressure on Portugal increased at the end of the first half as numerous irate players surrounded and questioned referee Facundo Tello over a number of penalty claims that had been turned down.
After a thrilling first half in which Morocco scored their first goal, the Moroccans started the second half off strong and in control, increasing the pressure on Portugal. Ziyech’s free kick from the right swung low into the Portuguese goalkeeper in the 49th minute, but he was able to save it. Achraf Dari was inserted in place of Captain Roman Saiss in the 57th minute after Saiss appeared to have suffered a serious injury.
Portugal launches a barrage of attempts in an effort to get the crucial equalizer now that the Moroccan skipper is gone. 63 minutes into the game, Fernandes is set up by a cross from the left and unleashes a strong shot just beyond the box that barely clears the crossbar. A few minutes later, he continued to make moves as he cut the ball into the box from the outside, finding Ronaldo inside, who headed the ball directly into Bounou’s hands.
Portugal has been given an additional 8 minutes, but is still falling behind. Cheddira is dismissed from the game after receiving two yellow cards at the start of the second minute. Having to play with 10 men at the game’s most vital moment put Morocco in a little trouble. In the 97th minute, following a cross from the left, Pepe launched Portugal’s lone remaining attack, sending it wide off the goal. When the referee blows the final whistle, Ronaldo and his team have lost!
Morocco, in a remarkable development, have become the first African country to advance to the semifinals. Despite controlling the ball for the majority of the game, Portugal was unable to get past the Moroccan defense. En Nesyri’s towering header in the 42nd minute ultimately made the difference in a fiercely contested struggle. In the semifinals, they will now either play England or the reigning champs France!
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