Morocco 90 minutes away from once in a lifetime shot at World Cup glory

An Arab team are now 90 minutes away from the World Cup final.

Morocco may face their toughest test yet in Wednesday’s semifinal against defending champions France but there is belief, excitement and plenty more beside in the camp of the Atlas Lions. It is easy to understand why for a team that topped their group above Croatia and Belgium and went on to eliminate Spain and then Portugal. There are not many European powerhouses left for Morocco to dump out of the competition.

Morocco are the story of the 2022 World Cup, whatever happens at Al-Bayt Stadium, and they not only have the Arab region and the whole of Africa cheering them on, but also much of the planet as well. The heroic players have gone from outsiders to popular underdogs, and now contenders. And there is the unavoidable fact that a team that has beaten Belgium, Spain and Portugal can beat France. If they do that then they can beat Croatia or Argentina. If they do that then they will be world champions. It is a thrilling prospect.

The performance against Portugal just confirmed the growing belief that it is possible. After the win over Spain, it was expected that the Selecao, with greater firepower than their Iberian neighbors, would provide a tougher test. It did not turn out like that.

It was a tight 1-0 win for Morocco but a deserved one. The Europeans had more of the possession but that is a stat that has mattered less and less in this tournament. The Arab team broke forward dangerously time and time again and looked comfortable in the face of increasingly frantic Portuguese attacks. The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo was brought on early in the second half and barely had a sniff said it all.

And more impressive was the fact that the game ended with