Morocco considered as underdogs in the 2022 edition of the ongoing World Cup in Qatar advanced to the semi-finals stage on Saturday after defeating Portugal 1-0.
By this result Morocco becomes the first Arab country and first African country to make it to the round of four in tournament history.
Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri scored the lone goal of the match, heading a cross from Yahya Attiyat Allah in the 42nd minute.
According to Forbes report, Morocco, which notched another shocking win over Spain in the quarterfinals last week, held on against Portugal even as its star striker Cristiano Ronaldo entered the match just after halftime—he had been snubbed from the previous two matches.
Morocco was also forced to play down one person in the final minutes of play after Walid Cheddira earned a red card in the third minute of added time, after receiving two yellow cards within minutes of each other.
Portugal piled on the pressure late on and introduced Cristiano Ronaldo as a second-half substitute but could now claw their way back into the game.
Following the team’s win, fans celebrated with flags of not only Morocco, but Palestine and host country Qatar.
Morocco will play England or France in the semi-final.