METERorocco will advance to the semifinals after a historic victory over Portugal in the 2022 World Cup on Saturday. Morocco won the match, 1-0, and is the first African country to go that far in the World Cup. In the semi-finals, Morocco will face England or France.
Portugal was the favorite to win the match with star player Cristiano Ronaldo, but the team did not score any points. Youssef En-Nesyri scored the only goal of the game in the 42nd minute just before half time, assisted by Yahya Attiat-Allah. The team’s impressive winning streak now spans five games and is attributed to their strong defense, including goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. So far none of the team’s rivals – Croatia, Belgium, Canada, Spain or Portugal – have scored goals.
“It’s an incredible feeling. No one thought we could do it. I said last week that we want to end the curse,” Moroccan soccer player Abdelhamid Sabiri told German news channel ZDF, according to Al Jazeera. “We are taking it one game at a time. We want to win every game.”
Morocco’s victory has fueled enthusiasm throughout the Arab world and its diaspora, already a momentous year with Qatar becoming the first Arab country to host a World Cup. Saturday’s match, coupled with Morocco’s latest victory over Spain on December 6, erupted into celebrations in the streets of Rabatin France, home to a large Moroccan community, and at the World Cup itself in Doha.
The other teams that have been confirmed to play in the semifinals are Argentina and Croatia. The semifinals will feature two matches of two teams each and will take place next week, on December 13 and 14. The winners will compete in the final on December 18.
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