Morocco’s dream run at the World Cup kept going on Saturday when they beat Portugal 1-0. They outthought and outfought Portugal and became the first African country to ever make it to the semi-finals thanks to a towering goal from Youssef En-Nesyri.
In the 42nd minute, Youssef En-Nesyri jumped over the Portugal defenders to meet a cross from Yahya Attiat-Allah. He got just enough of his head on the ball to tip it past goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who misjudged its path and crashed it into his own defender.
Portugal, on the other hand, had a hard time getting through the Moroccan defense. Shortly after Morocco scored, Bruno Fernandes’s shot hit the bar.
Cristiano Ronaldo came off the bench six minutes after halftime, but it wasn’t enough to save his team from losing. In the end, Morocco won and will play either England or France in the semi-finals, which will be played later on Saturday.
Walid Cheddira of Morocco was sent off after getting two yellow cards in a row during extra time. This means he won’t be able to play in the semi-final.
