No one gave them the chance but the Atlas Lions of Morocco roared loudest as the first African team to make it to football’s World Cup semifinals.
Attiat Allah’s 42-minute goal was all the best defensive country in Qatar’s World Cup needed to upset another European giant, Portugal on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is captured walking off in tears as Portugal are dumped out of the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-finals.
The 37-year-old came off the bench in the 51st minute of the match to replace Ruben Neves with Portugal trailing 1-0 after a first-half goal from Youssef En-Nesyri.
The decision by Fernando Santos to leave Ronaldo, his most priced asset in the squad on the bench, has become a subject of controversy on the social media as many criticised the coach heavily.
The final whistle left the forward heartbroken after failing to keep his dreams alive of one last crack at football’s greatest international prize.
He will be 41 when the next World Cup comes around in the summer of 2026, meaning that was most likely his final opportunity to win the major tournament.
This is the first time African team will be in the mundial last four. And Morocco is the first north African side to make the quarter finals. They are also the first African African country to win a knockout game at the World in record time.
Indeed, they are African “joy givers” and they made it history in grand style. Morocco since the beginning of the first Arab hosted world cup has no player on the score sheet against them. Congratulations are in order for the Atlas Lions.
