The North African side drew courage and power from an invigorated home support to hold onto a Youssef En-Nesyri 42nd minute goal. A few days ago, they also pulled a trick, beating favourites Spain in a convincing and spirited performance.

The fans in the Al Thumama stadium could not have been any louder. Their jeers rang across the pitch into their opponents’ ears, and across millions of screens across the globe. All Portuguese possessions were decried, and Moroccan clearances were celebrated like a goal.

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Like their passionate, spurring fans, the Atlas Lions found their voice and grit to push their narrative. They become the first African country to qualify for any FIFA World Cup tournament semi-finals.

If you want to understand the importance of the 12th man, look no further than Moroccan 🇲🇦 fans at this World Cup. Their support is immense.

They have come in thousands to the stadiums. Many live in Qatar while others flew in from Morocco and across the world. Dima Maghrib. pic.twitter.com/Wqym9qcDR4

— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) December 7, 2022

Morocco’s victory in the warm glowing sun in Doha spread light and renewed hope for millions of fans and young footballers worldwide. Just as Ghana garnered attention and endearment from the continent in its 2010 World Cup run in South Africa, Morocco has inspired the hearts of many more today.

How the game went

In this tournament, Portugal habitually donned goals to their opponents. Today, Morocco earned their due share, pressing and playing the game at the pace they favoured.

The Atlas Lions continued their impressive ability to weave or string intricate counter attacks from their defensive shape. Few teams have been so assured at penetrating an opponent’s blocks from midfield.

Yassine Bounou remained a mountain at the back. He made athletic saves to thwart the few stunning attempts that Portugal tried to conjure to keep themselves in the game. The goalkeeper has only conceded once in regulation time in his five games of the tournament.

The red card for Walid Cheddira in the third minute of additional time was not enough to break the seal of Morocco’s thorough defence.

Even in the dying minutes, with pressures and emotions high, Sofyan Amrabat’s class still shone. He dragged his time forward and earned several crucial minutes for his side.

Expected goals (XG) measure the quality of a chance (or shot) by calculating the likelihood that it will be scored from a particular position on the pitch. Generally, shots taken closer to the goal have a higher XG value.

Opta’s expected goal map tabs the quality of shots taken by both sides across the game. The visualisation below shows that Morocco limited Portugal to several speculative attempts across the game.

The European side finished the game with a lower XG value than their opponents.

What next?

Morocco’s victory guarantees a match-up against France or England in the semi-finals. The exact opponent will be evident by the end day when the two sides face off.

Amrabat’s post-game thoughts summed up the emotions around their victory:

“We deserve this one hundred per cent: how we fight, how we play, for our country, for the staff, for the coach, for the team, for all the people supporting us.”

All eyes will be on them in the next round.