By Adeola Akanbi
A new Chapter has opened in African football as Morocco defy the odds to make the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Little was said or known about these Atlas Lions before the kick-off of the opening match in Qatar, but here they are, the semifinals of the World Cup.
They have along made history and entered immortality as the first African country in the semifinals of the World Cup
After beating European heavyweights like Belgium and Spain and drawing another semifinalist Croatia, much has been said about the limits this group can achieve.
Sevilla’s unfancied striker Youssef En Nesyri header in the 42nd minute sent Africa into raptures as these Moroccan players stood toe to toe against their more fancied opponent that has the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Pepe, and Bernardo Silva, to mention a few.
The second half started with the introduction of five times Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo who started the game on the bench as Portugal head coach Fernando Santos looked for answers to this Morocco display that has gone beyond imagination.
A Joao Felix powerful drill that was pulled off by a brilliant save from Yacine Bounou was only the big chance the Portuguese could muster as the game was ending to a dramatic end.
The last few minutes of the ninety with additional eight minutes added was the longest minutes in the whole African football history and Morocco stood firm to make history as the first semifinalist of the World Cup.
