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Morocco is the first African country to reach the semifinals of a World Cup
Morocco made history this Saturday by beating Portugal 1-0 and advancingto the semifinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Portugal came in favored to win and dominated possession the entire game. But Morocco once again found a way to win at this World Cup in Qatar.
The game's only goal came just before halftime in the 42nd minute when Morocco's Yahya Attiat-Allah lofted a ball in front of the Portugal goal and Youssef En-Nesyri soared high and headed it down past the keeper.
En-Nesyri is the first Moroccan player to score at two World Cups.
Morocco's defense sparkled once again - particularly the sensational play of goalkeeper Yassine "Bono" Bounou.
Morocco is the first Arab country to go this deep into a World Cup and, now, the first African country to reach the semifinals of a World Cup.
Across Doha - and the Arab world - fans have turned out in force to cheer for their Cinderella team.
At the FIFA Fan Fest in Doha, thousands of fans squeezed in to watch the game on an outdoor big screen TV. They cheered every move, every shot, every time Morocco's players touched the ball.
For a second straight match, star Cristiano Ronaldo started the game on the bench for Portugal.
The 37-year-old is one of the finest to ever play the sport but the aging star hasn't been his usual dominant self at this tournament (he hasn't scored a single goal).
His replacement Gonçalo Ramos, who scored three goals against Switzerland, didn't make much of a mark.
Ronaldo was substituted into the game in the 51st minute. As the game ended, he appeared to wipe away tears as he walked off the field.
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