Morocco 1-0 Portugal
Qatar 2022 | Quarter-finals
Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 44,198
Morocco goal: Youssef En-Nesyri (42)
Teams
Morocco
Coach: Walid Regragui
Starting XI: Yassine Bounou; Roman Saiss, Jawad El Yamiq, Yahia Attiyat Allah, Achraf Hakimi; Sofyan Amrabat, Selim Amallah, Azzedine Ounahi; Sofian Boufal, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri
Substitutions: Achraf Dari for Romain Saiss (57), Walid Cheddira for Selim Ammallah (65), Badr Benoun for Youssef En-Nesyri (65), Yahya Jabrane for Sofiane Boufal (82), Zakaria Aboukhlal for Hakim Ziyech (82)
Portugal
Coach: Fernando Santos
Starting XI: Diogo Costa; Raphael Guerreiro, Ruben Dias, Pepe, Diogo Dalot; Ruben Neves, Otavio, Bernardo Silva; Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Goncalo Ramos
Substitutions: Joao Cancelo for Raphael Guerreiro (51), Cristiano Ronaldo for Ruben Neves (51), Vitinha for Otavio (69), Rafael Leao for Goncalo Ramos (69), Ricardo Horta for Diogo Dalot (79)
Hitherto head-to-head record
1 Morocco win (1986 World Cup)
1 Portugal win (2018 World Cup)
Going into the game
Morocco were not among the pre-tournament contenders, but got off to a flying start by topping their group and eliminating Spain. Portugal had one of the strongest squads in the competition and felt destined for glory after thrashing Switzerland 6-1 in the last 16. Fernando Santos had no significant injuries to consider, but controversy was swirling around the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo in the previous match. Goncalo Ramos played in his stead, scoring a hat-trick in the high-scoring victory.
On the Moroccan side, captain Roman Saiss was carrying a knock, but the rest of the squad was 100-per-cent fit. Nonetheless, no African team had ever reached the World Cup semi-finals before, and few saw the Atlas Lions ripping up that statistic.
The game
All expectations were on the Portuguese to overcome a gritty Morocco side, but the underdogs failed to read the script. Regragui’s men, fighting with what felt like an entire nation in the stands, ceded possession to the Portuguese, but restricted the favourites to a handful of chances with some superb defending.
Then, in the 42nd minute, Youssef En-Nesyri rose highest and headed home a cross from Yahya Attia-Alla. The goal lit a fire under Portugal, and Brundo Fernandes almost equalised moments later, volleying the ball off the crossbar. As Facundo Tello blew for halftime, the Moroccan crowd was in full party mode.
Six minutes after the break, Cristiano Ronaldo entered the fray. An expectant nation assumed the big-match man would turn the tide for A Seleção das Quinas, but it was Yassine Bounou who’s name would be remembered. The Moroccan goalkeeper thrust himself into the spotflight, first exasperating Joao Felix with a monumental fingertip save and then denying Ronaldo from close range.
The tense affair will forever be remembered as the day Africa triumphed, and the Atlas Lions slew the proverbial dragon and celebrated on the field with their mothers.
Quotes
“It’s really, really, really unbelievable. I’m so proud. We deserve this 1,000 per cent. That’s just how we fight and play: with our heart, for our country and for our people. We had some injuries and to have three defenders go in and defend like that, big respect. Big respect for everybody – for the fans, coach, everyone.”
Sofyan Amrabat, Morocco midfielder
“The locker room is really down. We are devastated. I was sure that with the work and the quality of the players that we could have given the Portuguese people some joy, that we could have made it to the final and won it. That’s why I and everyone else is devastated.”
Fernando Santos, Portugal coach
“We didn’t realise how significant it was. It was only when the players came home to Morocco that it sunk in what they’d achieved. We were the underdogs that everyone wanted to see win. Now people stop us in the street – and not only Moroccans – to say ‘bravo’ and ‘thank you’. We made history by reaching the quarter-finals, and then we smashed the glass ceiling that every African team had banged up against – be it Ghana, Senegal or Cameroon – and got through to the last four.”
Walid Regragui, Morocco coach
