Doha: After a beautiful, scarlet evening in Doha, the dream is alive and stronger than ever.
This World Cup will be remembered more as the Moroccan World Cup than the Qatar edition, as the Atlas Lions beat Portugal 1-0 on Saturday to enter the last four of the competition.
No Arab team has come close to this stage before. Now no one can say that Morocco has not been able to claim the golden trophy. The question now isn’t whether this incredible team, which has already overtaken Brazil in the tournament, can actually lift the trophy, but who can stop them? Not Belgium, Spain or Portugal. Not a single opposition player has scored against them after five matches.
Head coach Walid Regragui and his stars will never forget Al-Thumama Stadium, a happy place where they beat Belgium and then Canada in the group stage, and have now made it three from three. It’s crazy, but they’ve won more World Cup games in this stadium than in their entire history in the competition.
If this had been familiar territory for the team, the same could not be said about the quarter-finals, but it was a well-deserved victory for a team that clearly knows how to defend, but attack with speed and skill. is also able to do.
They have seen off a challenge from the three major European powers, three teams seen as potential winners, and have a side to be proud of with thousands of fans in the region and millions at home.
Despite Portugal’s 6-1 shock defeat to Switzerland on Tuesday, it was always going to be a tough affair. As was repeatedly mentioned, the Moroccan defense was breached just once in the last eight games. Regargui may have been coach for just over three months, but the way the 47-year-old has organized the team seems like years.
However, an unforgettable journey to the Final Four had taken its toll. Bayern Munich full-back Nasser Mazrouei didn’t make it, and neither did West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerde. His partner in the backline, Romain Sass, started after a hamstring scare but was benched during the warm-up. It looked like it might be a game too far for the team leader.
Portugal started briskly but could find no way, but as the game approached the half-hour mark, Morocco began to get on top and suddenly the match came to life.
The breakthrough came with three minutes remaining of the first half, almost to nil. Yahya Attiyat Allah swung in a cross from the left, for Mazrouei. In came goalkeeper Diogo Costa and got nowhere and there was En-Nesri, who leapt high in the air like Cristiano Ronaldo and slotted into an empty net.
It was the first goal scored by the country in the knockout stages. As anyone watching any action at this World Cup would expect, Morocco’s army of fans went nuts.
The Europeans wobbly in action almost immediately struck back in spectacular fashion as Bruno Fernandes fired a half-volley over goalkeeper Yacine Bounou from outside the area and deflected off the crossbar. Within moments, the Moroccan again broke out with pace down the left and Attiat Allah shot wide from inside the area.
Morocco almost extended their lead in the opening attack of the second half and it was no surprise that Ronaldo was brought on to spearhead the defence. With Syce succumbing to his hamstring at the end and being stretchered off after 56 minutes, nerves ran high, even more so when Goncalo Ramos, scorer of a hat-trick in the previous game, later headed home Portugal’s best chance. Soon, Fernandes shot from the edge of the area.
Battling with injuries and fatigue, it was no surprise that Morocco defended deep and deep – they have done it extremely well.
There was a succession of free-kicks and corners from dangerous positions, but the Red Wall stood firm and were now always in danger of a lightning counter-attack.
The closer the dream world came, the louder the sound got in the stadium and the nervousness also increased. The fans helped out with their own version of Iceland’s thunderclap, but there was no hiding how great the last 10 minutes were going to be.
Even when Portugal broke down that backline, it was Bouno to save the day, as he did with eight minutes remaining, somehow finding a hand to a ferocious Joao Felix drive that went over the top Was going around the corner. The goalkeeper is one of the many heroes for the country who have made a mark in this World Cup.
If they hadn’t fought enough, there was eight minutes of injury time, which started with Ronaldo’s low shot well saved by Bauno. Then, within the next two minutes, substitute Walid Chedira was shown two yellow cards and sent off, reducing their pressured squad to 10 men.
Morocco responded by defending even harder and should have sealed the victory in the 96th minute when Yahya forced himself clear on goal but could only lift the ball into the arms of the goalkeeper. There was still time for Pepe’s header to go wide.
Then the final whistle rang. It was all over, but it felt like a new beginning for football, with an Arab team in the Final Four and looking like they didn’t know how to lose and could beat anyone.
Not the first time Moroccans were celebrating, and it may not be the last.