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Recap of the Morocco-Portugal match - Morocco will defeat Portugal and end its career in the World Cup quarter-finals Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal pressed the pressure, but could not find a way around it. In the end, the heart defeated the imposter, and Youssef Al-Nusairi's goal was enough for Morocco to advance 1-0.
With this victory, Morocco became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, after it managed to achieve three of them, narrowly ahead of those titles.
En-Nesyri rose high into the sky to fire home just before half-time, and the Moroccan defense took over from there, stifling Portugal's attack for the full 90 minutes. Ronaldo started the game on the bench, as Fernando Santos again favored young Goncalo Ramos in the episode, but the Portugal coach turned to his aging captain just minutes into the first half.
It had little effect in the end, as Ronaldo missed his good game-changing opportunity later on. Rafael Leao was the real injection of attacking flair, but his introduction came too late to change the outcome.
Meanwhile, Moroccan midfielders Soufiane Boufal and Azzedine Onahi made the difference throughout the match, and substitute defender Yahya Atiyatallah made a great effort. Moroccan captain Romain Sayes was injured in the second half, and substitute Walid Chedira was sent off in stoppage time, but that did not make a difference as the African country remained solid in shape and structure.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was also fantastic, making several huge saves to keep a clean sheet and advance as he will face the winner from England against France.
Morocco is not yet finished in the 2022 World Cup. The pride of Africa and the Arab world defeated another European powerhouse to reach the semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Portugal.
Portugal came out as the favorite to win and dominated possession the entire match. But Morocco once again found a way to win the World Cup in Qatar.
The only goal in the match came shortly before the end of the first half in the 42nd minute when Moroccan Yahya Atiyatallah hit a ball in front of Portugal's goal, Youssef Al-Nusairi rose high and headed it into the goalkeeper's net. En-Nesiri is the first Moroccan player to score in two editions of the World Cup.
Morocco's defense shone once again - particularly the sensational play of goalkeeper Yassine "Bounou" Bounou. None of Morocco's opponents in this World Cup - Croatia, Belgium, Canada, Spain, or Portugal - scored a goal (Morocco's own goal was for Canada).
Morocco is the first Arab country to enter this depth in the World Cup finals, and it is now the first African country to reach the World Cup semi-finals. All over Doha - and the Arab world - fans are cheering for Team Cinderella.
"Being an Arab, I am very proud. Because we love football," said Saad. He noted that the best European lists are full of African players. "As individuals we are skilled. We can do anything."
He was asked why it takes such a long time for the African nation to achieve this kind of success. "The competition is very high. Football has become an industry. If we spend the same money as Portugal or Spain, we will be better than Argentina or Brazil," Saad said.
For the second match in a row, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo started the game off the bench for Portugal. The 37-year-old is one of the best players to play the sport, but the aging superstar hasn't been his usual dominant self in this tournament (he didn't score).
His replacement Gonzalo Ramos, who scored three goals against Switzerland, made little impact. Ronaldo was substituted into the match in the 51st minute. As the game ended, he appeared to wipe his tears as he walked off the field.
This was the third time that Portugal had reached the quarter-finals (they won their last two matches in 1966 and 2006).
Morocco is waiting for the winner of Saturday's season-ending match between France and England to see who will play in Wednesday's semi-final.