Qatar: Morocco became the first African team ever to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup after defeating Portugal 1-0 on Saturday.
After favourites Brazil were knocked out of the tournament on Friday, it was the turn for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to crash out as they suffered a 0-1 defeat in the hands of jubilant Morocco on Saturday.
Youssef En-Nesyri’s towering header in the 42nd minute was enough for the North African side to send the former European champions Portugal out of the quadrennial tournament.
In the Arab world, Saturday’s win felt particularly sweet, with Morocco’s progression marking the first time an Arab or African country has ever reached the last four in 92 years of World Cup history.
Special memories 🇲🇦❤#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 10, 2022
Casablanca, a port city in western Morocco, witnessed scenes of jubilation as people poured onto the streets to celebrate their country’s remarkable against-the-odds victory.
While many thousands of Morocco fans have travelled to Qatar to cheer the Atlas Lions on, other supporters have done the journey in reverse, keen to sense the effervescent atmosphere gripping the North African country.
There were similar outpourings of joy across the region.
In the besieged Gaza Strip, the coastal enclave’s largest sports hall was packed with thousands of people cheering on Morocco.
Fans in Morocco and around the world are celebrating the North African team’s shock win over Portugal, as it becomes the first African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Morocco has defied expectations in this tournament, previously beating Belgium and Spain.
Supporters in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, also welcomed Morocco’s win, which was sealed by Youssef En Nesyri’s pivotal 42nd-minute header.
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