https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/63930633
The Moroccan Royal Football Federation became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final and ended the hopes of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, progressing to the Final. "The Atlas Lions" play France tonight in the semi-final.
Striker Youssef En-Nesyri scored the winning goal in the first half, leaping highest to beat goalkeeper, Diogo Costa, to the ball, heading in to spark pandemonium at Al Thumama Stadium. The North African side's supporters populated most of the venue and joyously celebrated their breakthrough moment on the global stage.
Morocco is the first African country to draw a match at the FIFA World Cup Finals, in 1970, with 1–1 draw with Bulgaria. ALSO the first African and Arab team to reach round of 16 in 1986 and the first African and Arab team to top their group stage. In 1998: Player, Youseff Chippo, was the fiist African to score an own goal at the World Cup, in the 2-2 draw against Norway on 10 June 1998. In 2018: Spofyan Amrabat came on as a substitute for his brother, Nordin, in the 76th minute in the group match against Iran. He is the first player in World Cup history to come in for his brother. In 2022: First African team to reach 7 points at the group stage. 2022: First Arab nation to advance to the quarter finals by defeating Spain on a penalty shoot-out 3–0. 2022: Team manager, Walid Regragui, is the first African and Arab manager to reach the quarter finals also the first African and first Arab nation to reach semi-finals by their unprecedented 1–0 victory over Portugal. (Ronaldo came off the bench in the 50th minute in this game to equal the men's all-time appearance record of 196 caps in international matches, but he could not drag his side back into the contest!!)
Morocco, who will face England or France in the last four, were happy to play on the counter and grabbed the opener just before the break when En-Nesyri headed in from Yahya Attiyat-Allah's cross.
Portugal skipper Bruno Fernandes came agonisingly close to levelling just minutes later but a brilliant individual effort struck the crossbar. Decimated by injuries, Morocco sat back for the majority of the second half and Yassine Bounou brilliantly tipped over Joao Felix's drive - the closest they came to an equaliser. Morocco striker Walid Cheddira was sent off for a second yellow card in eight minutes of additional time, but Portugal could not find the equaliser as their last-four hopes were dashed.
MOROCCO 27% POSSESSION: 9 SHOTS ON TARGET COMPARED TO PORTUGAL'S 12: 3 CORNERS TO PORTUGAL'S 9. 15 FOULS TO PORTUGAL'S 9.
Three African sides had previously reached this stage of the World Cup but none had progressed any further. Until now. Morocco qualified for the final stages of the FIFA World Cup on six occasions, which were in 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018 and 2022. Their best performance is in the 2022 World Cup, which of course is still in progress, just. Morocco reached the semi-finals, becoming the first African nation to do so at a World Cup.
Goalkeeper Bounou, earning his 50th cap, pushed away a header from Felix early on and a deflected strike flew narrowly over. Having seen rival Lionel Messi reach the semi-finals on Friday, Ronaldo could not do the same with his side on what is likely to be his final World Cup appearance, trudging down the tunnel in tears at full-time as his dream was over.
Moroccan Women is also the first country women's team from the Arab World to do so since the inception of the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991, 88 years after the first Arab country, Egypt, made its debut at the Men's FIFA World Cup. The Moroccan team played its first international match in 1998, as part of the third Women's African Cup of Nations.
The Moroccan Women's squad has played in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 qualifiers, their debut appearance, when they are due to meet Germany, South Korea and Colombia. They met the Republic of Ireland in Marbella in friendlies on November 11th, drawing 2-2 and on the 14th losing 4-0.
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