En-Nesyri opens the doors of paradise to Morocco

A Cinderella turning into an ogre can also be a beautiful story, for adults and children.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
10 December 2022 Saturday 11:36
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En-Nesyri opens the doors of paradise to Morocco

A Cinderella turning into an ogre can also be a beautiful story, for adults and children. Like that of Morocco, elevated to the altars in Qatar after eliminating Portugal and becoming the first African team to reach the semifinals of a World Cup.

It was something tremendous what was experienced this Saturday in the Al Thumama stadium, dyed an intense Moroccan red with an enviable passion. A jump to the skies of En-Nesyri when the first part was exhausted defined everything. Diogo Costa and Rúben Dias collided face to face while the ball flew fast to stay in the net after a colossal header from Sevilla. The tremors reached the confines of the Sahara before the uproar that occurred in the stands, the fans incredulous, unable to digest what was happening at first. Living football history.

Portugal did not seem to have learned the lesson, aware of what was to be found on the green. Of his strengths and weaknesses. They looked for the continuous changes of the game as the only way to break the African web, the same one that trapped Spain. As much as they had the ball with very high percentages of possession, catching a glimpse of Bono was only a matter of set pieces or some crossed cross, like the one that João Félix, the best on the losing side, began finishing off. Bono, one of the great heroes of the Moroccans' historic journey in Qatar, responded by extending his arm and deflecting for a corner.

Unlike what happened against Spain and despite having the ball in small doses, Morocco showed another point of ambition and offensive clarity against the Portuguese that was already noticeable from the beginning. The red footballers deployed like rockets for the green when they hunted the ball and they did not hesitate too much to put Diogo Jota's reflexes to the test when they found a hole. Tireless, Attiat-Allah moved forward and back down the left flank, which was pleasing, with an endless motor. And En-Nesyri also finished off any ball that flew over the Portuguese area. He had springs and a magnet.

Portugal, again without Cristiano in the eleven, brave Fernando Santos with a matter of national scope to the west of the Iberian Peninsula, did not know too much what to do with the ball. The scorer Gonçalo Ramos was barely visible and another shot from João Félix was his only loot.

On the other hand, Morocco was pure energy when they had possession, Regragui's players mesmerized, always fast looking towards the opposite area. Amallah or Boufal dared from afar. Had to try. Despite the fact that the domain was Portuguese, in the red gafiya of Al Thumama the instinct was more towards the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Before the break everything went up in the air. In his umpteenth ride, Attiat-Allah put the ball in the skies, to where En-Nesyri rose to put the ball in the net. Still drunk with joy, the post lent a cable to the Moroccans in the subsequent play, deflecting a shot from Bruno Fernandes. The siege of the second half could be period.

It didn't take too long for Fernando Santos to resort to Cristiano Ronaldo after the break, almost doomed to a miracle in the face of the Numantine resistance that Morocco opposed, guided by an exceptional Amrabat, pure brains among so much heart. It took a world for Portugal to find holes, João Félix did it again with his left leg and again Bono responded with a saving flight. What a World Cup yours.

The addition also had its point of epic, welcome in moments of legend. Cheddari saw two yellow cards in two minutes and forced Morocco to redouble their efforts when their legs were already giving way. Before leaving in tears, Cristiano made one last attempt against Bono, but lost the game again. Like Pepe, whose header went wide. The story had ended and Cinderella had turned out to be an ogre

1 - Marruecos: Yassine Bono; Achraf Hakimi, Jawad El Yamiq, Romain Saiss (Achraaf Dari, m.57), Yahya Attiat-Allah; Sofyan Amrabat, Azzedine Ounahi, Selim Amallah (Walid Cheddira, p.65); Hakim Ziyech (Zakaria Aboukhlal, m.82), Youseff En Nesyri (Badr Benoun, m.65) and Sofiane Boufal (Yahya Jabrane, m.82).

0 - Portugal: Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot (Ricado Horta, m.79), Pepe, Rúben Dias, Raphael Guerreiro (Joao Cancelo, m.51); Rúben Neves (Cristiano Ronaldo, m.51), Otávio (Vitinha, m.69); Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix; and Gonçalo Ramos (Rafael Leao, m.69)

Goal: 1-0, M.42: En-Nesyri.

Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG). Expelled for double admonition Walid Cheddira (m.93). Also shown yellow cards to Achraf Dari (m.70) and Vitinha (m.87)

Incidents: Third match of the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup played at the Al Thumama stadium before 44,198 spectators.