Morocco make history as World Cup dream continues

1 year ago 90

Morocco became the archetypal African state to scope the World Cup semi-finals by beating Portugal 1-0, apt ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s chances of ever winning soccer’s biggest prize.

Youssef En-Nesyri scored the winning extremity successful the 42nd infinitesimal to proceed Morocco’s improbable tally that has generated an outpouring of pridefulness successful the Arab satellite during the archetypal World Cup to beryllium staged successful the Middle East.

The 37-year-old Ronaldo, 1 of soccer’s top players, didn't commencement for the 2nd consecutive crippled but came connected arsenic a substitute successful the 51st infinitesimal and missed a accidental to equalise successful stoppage time.

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The five-time satellite subordinate of the twelvemonth is acceptable to decorativeness his vocation without capturing the World Cup oregon ever getting to the final. He headed close disconnected the tract aft the last whistle and was crying arsenic helium walked down the tunnel.

Morocco volition play either France oregon England successful the semifinals.

It is simply a seminal infinitesimal successful World Cup history, with an African federation yet advancing to the levels typically lone reached by European oregon South American teams. Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) each reached the quarterfinals but got nary further.

And disconnected the field, this Morocco squad — coached by French-born Walid Regragui and containing 14 players calved overseas — is uniting the Arab world, inspiring displays successful Arab individuality from fans successful antithetic countries.

There’s nary crushed wherefore Morocco cannot spell each the mode to the title, either, aft topping a radical that included second-ranked Belgium and chap semifinalist Croatia and present taking down 2 of Europe’s heavyweights successful Spain — aft a punishment shootout successful the circular of 16 — and Portugal successful the quarterfinals.

Morocco’s defence has yet to concede a extremity by an absorption subordinate astatine this year’s World Cup — the lone 1 it has allowed was an own-goal — and it stifled a Portugal squad which bushed Switzerland 6-1 successful the past 16 to thrust itself among the favorites.

In a crippled played to the backdrop of non-stop whistles and jeers by Morocco’s passionate fans, the squad relied astir exclusively connected counterattacks and scored from 1 of them.

A transverse was swung successful from the near and En-Nesyri leapt betwixt Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and defender Ruben Dias to caput into the bare net.

Ronaldo, who volition beryllium 41 by the clip of the 2026 World Cup successful the United States, Mexico and Canada, had been looking to scope the semi-finals for lone the 2nd clip aft 2006.

Try arsenic helium might, helium hardly got a interaction of the shot until stoppage clip erstwhile helium got successful down Morocco’s defence disconnected a agelong shot forward. His debased changeable was saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who hadn’t had excessively overmuch to bash earlier that point.

Substitute Walid Cheddira was shown a reddish paper for Morocco successful stoppage clip for collecting a 2nd yellowish paper successful arsenic galore minutes. Portugal halfway backmost Pepe past headed wide from wrong the six-yard box.

Ronaldo fell to his knees successful dejection. While Lionel Messi volition beryllium successful the semi-finals with Argentina, the different shot large of this procreation won't be.

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