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Morocco continued their giant killing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as they knocked Portugal out with a 1-0 win. In doing so, they became the first-ever African nation to make it to the last four in a World Cup. They will now face the winner of England versus France in the semi-finals.
The Atlas Lions caused one of the upsets of the tournament as they held Spain to a goalless 120 minutes before defeating them 3-0 on penalties. It was La Roja's second successive World Cup being knocked out from the round of 16.
The Seleccao, on the other hand, put in an attacking showcase as they smashed Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16. Most of their attackers got on the scoresheet as Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick on his World Cup debut.
Portugal made a composed start to the game and looked clear with their approach. They looked to dominate possession and take Morocco out of the equation by depriving them of the ball. However, Morocco ended up being more productive with limited time on the ball. They attempted seven shots and hit the target twice, compared to the Seleccao's one shot on target in five tries.
Youssef En-Nesyri handed Morocco a massive boost on the cusp of half-time as he latched onto Yahia Atiiyat Allah's cross to head the ball past an onrushing Diogo Costa. Although it was an error of judgment by Costa, credit is due for En-Nesyri, who displayed incredible athleticism to get to the ball. Morocco carried a one-goal advantage going into the break.
Portugal came out for the second period with all guns blazing as they looked to find a way back into the game with a goal. Fernando Santos also made multiple changes in order to freshen things up for the Seleccao. Morocco were dealt an injury blow as captain and defensive stalwart Romain Saiss pulled up with a problem and had to be subbed off.
Morocco made several changes as they were also forced to replace Hakim Ziyech, who picked up an injury as well. They sat deep and allowed Portugal to keep the ball for extended periods, looking to do their best when given the chance. However, the Seleccao ran out of ideas and were unable to break down a staunch Moroccan defense.
The Atlas Lions held on to secure a historic win for their nation, as well as the continent of Africa. On that note, here are the five hits and flops from the game.
#5. Hit - Yassine "Bono" Bounou
After a scintillating performance in the penalty shootout against Spain, Bono put in another crucial showing between the sticks. He made three saves throughout the game as he denied Portugal any sniff of scoring. He rushed out of goal to close down Cristiano Ronaldo in the late stages to keep his side ahead. He also played 11 accurate long balls as he helped open up Portugal's defense.
#4. Flop - Diogo Costa
Costa showed restlessness while dealing with crosses delivered into the box. He over-committed to some passes and one of them led to Morocco's goal. Costa went charging in to collect the cross but En-Nesyri beat him to it and applied the finishing touches to make it 1-0 after 42 minutes.
Unlike his counterpart, Costa just made one save throughout the game as the Seleccao crashed out.
#3. Hit - Youssef En-Nesyri
En-Nesyri showed great determination as he contested an improbable cross and even managed to score from it. He displayed impeccable awareness and athleticism to beat the 'keeper to the ball. He attempted two other shots which were off-target. En-Nesyri also won five duels, played one key pass, and made three clearances.
His leap for the goal was incredible and you can see the stills of the moment below.
#2. Flop - Joao Felix
Felix was wasteful in front of goal as he attempted five shots but failed to score, as just two of them were on target. He also failed to complete a single dribble despite four tries. Felix also won just three of his 10 duels in a lackluster performance in the final third.
Felix's performance highlighted a huge drawback in Portugal's overall performance at this World Cup, as very few individuals aside from Fernandes have taken the onus to lead their team from the front.
#1. Hit - Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes was the lone ranger for Portugal as he put in a classic performance but was unfortunate to end up on the losing side. He showed his trickery and imagination with the ball, picking out teammates in space with inch-perfect passes.
Fernandes attempted two shots off-target and completed two dribbles. He also hit the woodwork once. He played three key passes, three accurate crosses, and eight accurate long balls. He also made one interception and one clearance and was his team's standout performer.
