Morocco vs Portugal 1-0: World Cup 2022 – as it happened
Live updates from the Morocco vs Portugal World Cup 2022 quarter-final at Al Thumama Stadium.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the World Cup 2022 match between Morocco and Portugal on Saturday, December 10.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the World Cup 2022 match between Morocco and Portugal on Saturday, December 10.
- Morocco XI: Bounou, Hakimi, El Yamiq, Saiss (Dari, 58′), Attiat-Allah, Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah (Cheddira, 65′), Ziyech (Aboukhlal, 82′), Boufal (Jabrane, 82′), En-Nesyri (Benoun, 65′).
- Portugal XI: Costa, Dalot (Horta, 79′), Pepe, Dias, Guerreiro (Cancelo, 51), Otavio (Vitinha, 69′), Neves (Ronaldo, 51′), Silva, Fernandes, Felix, Ramos (Leao, 69′).
- Live updates
- Match stats
- Lineups
That’s a wrap
That’s it from us.
What an epic encounter between Morocco and Portugal we witnessed, a night that will go down in World Cup history.
But we’ve got another tasty game in England vs France which you can follow here.
Until then.
Flags and chants across the streets of Casablanca
As celebrations continue in Casablanca, cars fill up the streets with people waving out flags and chanting in excitement.
Several members of the Morocco team are from Casablanca and that’s giving people in the city even more reason to celebrate this victory.
“It feels incredible for the people here that their team has beaten all odds and won against Portugal, Spain and Croatia,” says Al Jazeera’s Nic Haque.
“Men, women and children – everyone is coming out of their neighbourhoods to celebrate. We even saw the king come out wearing the national squad’s shirt,” Haque adds.
Smiles, hugs and chants at Al Thumama
Casablanca on fire
This is how Morocco fans greeted the final whistle as their team beat Portugal 1-0 to become the first African country to make it into the #FIFAWorldCup semi-finals 🇲🇦 pic.twitter.com/gLrquACpfr
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 10, 2022
How Morocco got here
Wednesday, November 23: Group F: Morocco vs Croatia 0-0
Sunday, November 27: Group F: Belgium vs Morocco 0-2
Thursday, December 1: Group F: Canada vs Morocco 1-2
Tuesday, December 6: Round of 16: Morocco vs Spain: 0-0 draw; 3-0 for Morocco on penalties
Saturday, December 10: Quarter-final: Morocco vs Portugal 1-0
Read more here.
Abdelhamid Sabiri says goal is ‘to win every game’
“It is an unbelievable feeling,” Morocco’s Abdelhamid Sabiri told the German broadcaster ZDF after Morocco advanced into the semi-finals.
“No one thought we could do it,” he said. “I said last week that we wanted to end the curse.”
Looking ahead, Sabiri added: “We are taking it one match at a time. We want to win every game.”
Celebrations just getting started
Portugal fan ‘devastated’
Sofia Barbosa, from Lisbon, says she is “devastated” after Portugal’s loss.
“This is the last time we will see Ronaldo at a World Cup … It makes me almost want to cry,” the 33-year-old told Al Jazeera.
“I hope Morocco wins the World Cup, though. They have amazing fans … also I don’t want [Argentina’s Lionel] Messi winning,” she says, laughingly.
Morocco fans chant after win
Boufal doesn’t ‘want to wake up’
Winger Sofiane Boufal hopes there is more to come.
“It’s crazy. We’re living and dream and we don’t want to wake up. I have goosebumps,” he said.
“Everything we have, we deserve. We work hard. It’s not over. There’s still the semi-final and God willing, the final.”
Morocco coach Regragui ecstatic
“We came up against a really great Portugal team,” Regragui told France’s TF1.
“We’re drawing on all we have, we still have guys injured. I told the guys before the match we had to write history for Africa. I’m very, very happy.”
Iraqis claim Morocco’s victory as their own win
In Baghdad, Iraqis are also pouring out into the streets, celebrating a historic victory that feels very much like their own.
“They will celebrate tonight as if Iraq has won this match itself,” says Al Jazeera’s Mahmoud Abdelwahed from Baghdad.
“This is so symbolic – not only for Morocco, but for the whole African continent and the whole Arab world.”
This has been beyond their dreams, ambitions and prayers and their celebrations will continue overnight, especially in central and southern Baghdad, says Abdelwahed.
Relive it all here
You can read our match report by going here.
Thousands take to the streets in Gaza
Gaza’s largest sports hall is packed with thousands of fans supporting Morocco, as they now take their dancing and singing over to the streets to celebrate the historic win.
Reporting from the venue, Al Jazeera’s Yumna El Sayed said the supporters there saw the result as a history result and a win for all Arab nations, not just Morocco.
“Thousands have gone out to the streets to show their support, joy and happiness for Morocco,” added El Sayed.
‘Amazing but not surprising,’ says Morocco fan
Morocco supporter Amina Brouk, 32, says she is “super proud” of the team but had no doubts about the result.
“I am not surprised at all, we have been playing amazing. There was no way Portugal was going to win today,” the Doha resident told Al Jazeera.
“We had faith in our team, our players and most importantly in God. When God is with you, nobody can defeat you.”
Delirium inside and out
Describing the scenes at Al Thumama Stadium as “crazy” would be doing this moment a massive injustice. There is sheer delirium here. Inside and outside.
“Adios Espana [Goodbye Spain], adios Portugal [goodbye Portugal], adios whoever is next. Morocco is going all the way,” shouted a group of Moroccan fans as they danced away to “Ole, ole, ole”.
The unsung hero of the Atlas Lions
Sofyan Amrabat's game by numbers vs Portugal:
32 touches
8 ball recoveries
3 tackles made
3 clearances
3 duels won
2 final third entries
1 chance createdWhisper it… player of the tournament? 👀#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/0P7auADJDW
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 10, 2022
Celebrations take over Casablanca
“It is absolutely electric! People here have been dancing, celebrating, and it’s going to continue through the night,” says Al Jazeera’s Nic Haque, reporting from Casablanca, where people have taken to the streets to celebrate Morocco’s victory tonight.
Haque says he witnessed people celebrating specifically the goalkeeper, who is from Casablanca himself. Moments before the game ended, spectators were praying and in tears, waiting for their team to win.
“Two families flew from Saudi Arabia, another from Qatar to be here in Morocco and be amongst Moroccans to experience this moment,” adds Haque.
“A lot more people will want to come now to Morocco to see history in the making.”
Portugal didn’t play badly
Fernando Santos’ team just came up against a staunch defence that wasn’t going to budge.
Fernandes and Felix may feel they could have scored with the chances they had, but Bounou was on form once again.
Incredible scenes
Morocco fans at the stadium cannot believe what they have just witnessed.
It’s absolute madness here, as the Atlas Lions supporters burst into cheers and screams as their team made history.
Some with tears in their eyes are embracing in minute-long hugs.
Portugal supporters, meanwhile, stand quietly, simply stunned.
Can anyone beat this man?
3 – Yassine Bounou, who made his 50th appearance for Morocco tonight, is the first African goalkeeper to record three clean sheets in a single edition of the World Cup. Heroic. pic.twitter.com/xW3DEN6LAL
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 10, 2022
France or England await
Morocco would take either you’d imagine, as they’ve already had an incredible tournament by making the semis.
They will give whoever they play next a real game and could go all the way at this stage.
Morocco win without the ball
They had just less than 27 percent possession, but the three shots on target they had matched the tally of Portugal.
Walid Regragui’s team were a constant threat on the break, and he’s got them into a seriously organised outfit after only taking over the side in August.
Full-time
Morocco make history as the first African team to reach the semi-finals! And didn’t they deserve it after a dogged and disciplined performance against Portugal today.
Ronaldo leaves the field in tears, but this game was about the Atlas Lions and an incredible team. They’ve written their names in the history books, no matter what happens in the next game.
Morocco 1-0 Portugal
Pepe misses header
The centre back almost scores after a cross from Leao.
90+8 mins: Morocco 1-0 Portugal