Morocco became the first-ever African team to reach the semi-final at the FIFA World Cup after beating Portugal 1-0 in Saturday’s quarter-final.
Yousseff En-Nesyri was the hero as his first half goal was enough to end Portugal’s run.
It is the second time Morocco will overcome Portugal at the World Cup after first beating the 2016 European champions 3-1 in the group stage at the Mexico 1986 edition.
The Portuguese edged Morocco 1-0 when they two teams met in Russia 2018.
Morocco will now face either reigning champions France or England in the semi-finals.
Portugal got the first attempt on goal in the 5th minute through Joao Felix but his header was turned around the post by the Moroccan keeper.
In the 18th minute Hakim Ziyech cut inside and shot but it rolled harmlessly wide of Diogo Costa’s goal.
On the half hour Felix’s shot from the edge of the box got a big deflection and landEd on the roof of the net.
But in the 42nd minute it was Morocco who went 1-0 up thanks to En-Nesyri.
The Moroccan forward beat the Portuguese keeper who came out to claim a cross from Attiyatt Allah but missed.
Allah could have doubled Morocco’s following a break but failed to direct his shot towards goal with the keeper to beat.
Just four minutes into the second half Jawad El Yamiq almost doubled Morocco’s lead after meeting Ziyech’s free kick but Diogo Costa made a great reflex save.
On 58 minutes Goncalo Ramos had a great chance to equalize as he met a cross but headed just wide inside the box.
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes went close on 63 minutes but fired a shot just over the crossbar.
In the 83rd minute Felix hit a sweet left foot strike but the Moroccan keeper tipped it over the bar.
Few minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo connect to a pass but saw his shot well saved.
With two minutes left in added time Pepe headed a cross from Raphael Leao but saw his effort narrowly miss the target.
On 93rd minute Morocco were reduced to 10 men after Walid Cheddira was sent off.
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COMMENTS
This could have been NIGERIA too in the SEMIS if they hadn’t SACK GENERAL ROAH!!!
Congrats to Morocco.
Bro, you need to move on. Rorh was at 2018 World Cup and didn’t even get Nigeria out of the group. At the African cup of nations, when it mattered the most, he could not even get past Algeria. Did you notice that the Morocco coach was hired in August of this year and look at what he did. He played to his team strengths. If it was your Oga Rorh that was hired in August to coach a team in the World Cup by the end of the same year, what do you think he will say, “they are a young team”.
Dude, move on and quit living in the past. Everyone is looking towards the future and you are trying to drag people back to the past. If you keep looking in the rear view mirror, you will miss what is in front of you.
Before you come and attack me, I don’t want to ever hear about Rorh again from you.
If he was that good, why is he still jobless? Why hasn’t all this European teams looking for a coach not hire him by now? Why hasn’t South American teams, even the Asian and Middle East team hired him.
Once again I say to you: MOVE ON AND LET THE PAST BE THE PAST.
You should have ignored MONKEY. He can’t think straight. Did you notice he ran away after you finished off your other your facts?
LMFAO!See someone who’s BRAIN is as USELESS as a USED MENSTRUAL PAD is telling someone that HE can’t THINK STRAIGHT…
LMFAO…
But at least that PERSON can still THINK even if it’s not STRAIGHT…
LMFAO….
@C2 did you NOTICE that it was GENERAL ROAH that QUALIFIED you for BACK to BACK AFCONS after YOUR OWNS BACK to BACK FAILURE?
Did you NOTICE it was GENERAL ROAH that brought PEACE in the SE DRESSING ROOM after your AFRICAN GUADIOLA scattered it?
Did you NOTICE our FIFA RANKING rose as soon as GENERAL ROAH took over from 70 to 29(WORLD) and then from 16 to 3 in AFRICA?
Did you NOTICE GENERAL ROAH WON us BRONZE in EGYPT when YOUR OWN EXITED in the R16?
Did you NOTICE GENERAL ROAH QUALIFIED US for RUSSIA with GAMES to SPARE and WE were the FIRST AFRICAN TEAM?
You are so correct. If only Oga Rohr was not fired. If only, we should be the only one. Well, the enemy of progress do us in.
@EDOMAN they are really ENEMIES of PROGRESS but claiming to want SE PROGRESS..
Congrats to Morocco, my wife is Moroccan and she is overjoyed!
PLEASE does SHE have SISTER’S left?
Am looking for a MOROCCAN LADY to DATE
WE can be INLAWS you know
Haba, what of Plumptre? You don serve am breakfast?
LMFAO..
OMO I don serve her BREAKFAST oo from today…
I wonder oooh, he is no longer interested in Plumptre
It is now obvious that administration is Africans problem not coach. Look at Morocco’s football development plan.
All join sha…
But WE need a GOOD COACH like GENERAL ROAH cos for INSTANCE it was the MOROCCAN COACH that INSTRUCTED them to always PARK the BUS against BIG TEAMS and wait for COUNTERS not their FA or SPORT MINISTRY
Some countries are busy qualifying for the semi finals of the world cup.
Others are busy looking for coaches they can share salary with.
Are you see what I am saw? Congrats to the wonderful, brave, determined Atlas Lions of Morocco.
Their coach has definitely earned a pay raise, and nobody will try to share his compensation with him. He will have it all for himself and his family.
Morocco can go all the way and win Africa’s first world cup. At a minimum, they should land Africa’s first world cup medal. Finally, the world will begin to take African football seriously, thanks to Morocco’s incredible feat!
So Morocco had a genius indigenous coach but has been looking outside all the while? Bomboclat!
Just wondering how the next FIFA ranking for Africa would look like. I hope Nigeria is not flung outside the top 10 this time around.
And Paseiro keeps promising winning the next AFCON. Is he watching the Qatar World Cup? Too many frontline candidates for the trophy – not even mentioning traditional powerhouses who didn’t qualify like Algeria.
Congratulations Morocco. Now you’ve raised the bar even higher for African teams. World Cup QF is no longer a lofty target.
I have said this before and I will keep saying it . Unless the Military takes over, sanitise the system before handing over to a well cultured and educated class of politicians Nigeria cannot raise again. This is more so in view of the fact that power was handed over to uncultured streets men who not lack spirit of nation building and self-centered and callous. As long as they continue to recycle them around various positions in the country Nigeria will continue to crawl behind other nations.
Dumb comment! How has the military handled insecurity across the country in the past 10 years? If they have been unable to sanitize the country in the area of security of lives and property, how will they sanitize anything else?
The whole Africa is supporting this arab nation. Discipline is the most important thing, this team conceded one goal and that was an own goal, they have defense. The difference between sub saharan team and arab teams is that arab teams play united, they are all the same.
Asians teams do teamwork and listen to the coach. This Moroccan coach is qualified and studied in Europe, it wasn’t due to nepotism or past glories.
The arab football organization will not steal money from the players. They are not tribalistic because they are all the same and have no tribe. Lessons are to be learned here.
Nobody cant be complaining about Africa cant do well in world cup now. But all Nigerians want to do is dance and say wizkid is their favorite artist. Ghana doing sui instead of taking the ball back and possibly tying the game 3-3 against portugal. Vincent Aboubakar taking off his shirt for a red and getting sent off and leaving his team down a man when they could of had a chance to score on more goal. He was golden boot for the afcon
I always said north African teams are better because they are humble, they listen and work together
Jokes I tell you
DEFENCE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Morocco are winning games, even though their opponents dominate the games and have the lion share of possession. You can do tiki taka all you want, dribble, and all what not, but if you can’t put the ball in the onion bag, your opponent still has a chance to beat you.
A strong midfield and defense has taken Morocco all the way to a world cup semi final.
…and sadly Super Eagles have neither. I just shame for Eagles. The status quo will not change. I am afraid. You can’t give what you don’t have.
A strong goal keeper too, I laugh in Spanish every time coach peseiro says he will win the next afcon. With all these basket
Goal keepers we have and dodgy selections.
KUDOS TO MOROCCO !!!
THIS IS A BIG SHAME TO ALL SUPER EAGLE PLAYERS, COACHES AND NFF MANAGEMENT. THEY ALWAYS PROVE EGO AS IF THEY ARE THE BEST. THEY DON’T PLAY WITH SERIOUSNESS AND FULL DETERMINATION WHENEVER THEY ARE CALL TO PLAY FOR NATIONAL TEAM.
A BIG SHAME TO ALL THE SUPER EAGLE PLAYERS. ANY PLAYERS THAT ARE NOT READY TO PLAY WITH FULL DETERMINATION & SERIOUSNESS SHOULD BE SACK INCLUDING NFF MANAGEMENT THAT ARE NOT READY TO WORK FOR THE INTEREST OF PLAYERS & NATION SHOULD ALSO BE SACK.
Peseiro would tell us that Morocco is a big team, as if na today we know Morocco. Morocco did what he couldn’t do against Portugal. Did Morocco play 442 with only two midfielders one defending and one attacking?
Morocco ‘parked the bus’ played a defensive game and relied on counter-attacks, they also took advantage of the lack of height in the Portuguese defense to launch aerial attacks. Without doubt, Portugal is the better team but again like Brazil were tactically outplayed.
For those Nigerians always attacking foreign-born players, 7 of Morocco’s starting 11 were foreign-born and they have 3 star players Amrabat, Ziyech, and Hakimi. Morocco is at 23 in the total transfer market value of their players while Nigeria is higher at 15.
And our coach is now calling Morocco a big team
Hahahahaha Tristan, the day 7 foreign borns out of 11 will start a game for Nigeria, that day monkey go go market e no go come back o. Ndi “many talents in the local league” will set this place on fire.
We are talking of a Morroco that has won the CHAN back to back (and are still favorites for the next edition)….. a Morroco that has had at least 1 club winning a continental title every year in the last half decade…..a Morroco that has the best football academy and the best stadiums and facilities in Africa…..still harnessing the full potentials of selecting their best legs irrespective of where they were born (including their technical crew) to prosecute major assignments.
Conversely, some disillusionists want their many talents who cannot even power our Local teams to parity with their counterparts north or south of the continent to be the fulcrum of our national team.
Our people say “follow who know road”, but Nigerians will rather follow the dictates of their own pockets or where their bread is buttered.
Congratulations to Morocco.
I love it when people reap where they have sown
I love it when success is achieved through labour
I love it when professionalism meets merit and organization.
I love it when selfishness, sentiments, bias and petty bigotry is eschewed in favour of what is right for everyone.
The whole of Africa is proud of you Morroco.
You guys wouldn’t know what Morocco has done for the entire Africa.
Now the confidence is there that with determination any serious team in Africa can even go all the way to final.
Nigeria would have achieved this but corruption is our incurable sickness killing every sector.
I advice Nigeria to go and sip small morocco drinks which Morocco are taking may be thing will become clearer than what it is right now.
I love the fact that Morocco is the first to get to this phase, this should henceforth serve as a wake up call to those west African teams including Nigeria who shows no commitment to national teams,most especially arrogant players paraded doing as if they are doing us favour.
Now we know good footballers, not those heady division two players disobeying coach and sabotaging emotions and efforts as if nothing was at stake during qualifiers. Until we change these attitudes of corruption, nepotism, favouritism, bribery, we’ll continue to claim we have the best striker in Africa who never qualify for world cup.More so this Moroccan feat has not only raise the bar, it has now open the eyes of small teams like Sao Tome, Chad, Niger etc to send the big teams out, thank God Comoros had started the revolution last AFCON.
I think we should move on from Rohr and look inward, Morocco has set a template and model for us to follow, pathetically, we rarely learn.
Pinnick, Bassey, Eguaveon how market? these three honey badger look like deprived Nigeria from participating in this World Cup. Guess what, these guys have one thing in common, ur guess is as good as my.