Wow. When Facundo Tello blew the final whistle, it was 7.57 pm in Qatar and just before 6 pm in Casablanca. It was a euphoric signal for the men on the sidelines to finally let go and flood onto the field, and for those who were already there to collapse on the ground. These Atlas Lions had accomplished it. The roar, which is now legend, tore straight through everyone present and far, far beyond. It is through this that history is created. The first African team to advance to the World Cup semifinals is Morocco.
After the last horn, Azzedine Ounahi beams with joy.
Azzedine Ounahi assists Morocco in bringing the impossible to life.
Despite facing Belgium, Croatia, Spain, and now Portugal, Walid Regragui's squad has proven that they are composed of stone. No one could topple them, therefore France now has a challenge. No opponent has scored against them in eight and a half hours of football, including three penalties in a shootout; the lone goal they have given up was an absurd own goal against Canada. Here, Portugal started the player who had a hat-trick against Switzerland and then futilely begged Cristiano Ronaldo to come off the bench and save them. Ronaldo cried as he disappeared through the tunnel. This might be his final game.
It won't belong to Morocco. Ronaldo had a chance in the 91st minute, apparently at the perfect time, but Bono made the stop as he frequently does. Pepe had an even clearer opportunity, but his close-range header inexplicably sailed past the post in the 97th minute, and Morocco added another chapter to this tale even without replacement Walid Cheddira, who was sent in the closing seconds.
Morocco excels at resisting, but don't assume that is all they can accomplish; they are a squad deserving of their spot in the semifinals, their role in history, and the crazy scenes that surrounded this game's finish.
Yes, they go in headfirst and rush through, but they do not just wait to run; rather, they strive to get the opportunity to do so. Few teams can match their precision and dexterity as they navigate through tiny openings, swapping passes, and rushing into the open field, sprinting right into the middle without stopping. When the clock was running out the previous time they did this, the right-back Achraf Hakimi sprinted into Portugal's six-yard box. What a great player, and he's not the only one. Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina and Azzedine Ounahi of Angers in France's relegation battle have consistently outperformed purportedly more famous footballers. They have two excellent escape artists in Sofiane Boufal and Hakim Ziyech, who have exquisite feet.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/10/morocco-portugal-world-cup-quarter-final-match-report
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