Walid Regragui’s Morocco will be hoping to write even more history on Saturday evening when they take on Portugal in the third FIFA 2022 Qatar World Cup Quarter Final match set to be played at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.Having already gone into the history books by becoming just the fourth African side to make it to the last 8 of a World Cup tournament following their stunning post-match penalty victory over 2010 champions Spain in the Round of 16, the flying Atlas Lions go into the clash carrying a whole continent’s dream seeking to have its first ever appearance in the semifinals of a World Cup tournament.History is made 🇲🇦 The fourth African team to ever make it to the quarter finals. Bravo Morocco 👏🏿 pic.twitter.com/ciMb86D6uZ— Samuel Eto’o (@SamuelEtoo) December 6, 2022 With Regragui also becoming the first African manager to reach the last eight of the World Cup, confidence is high that the tactician can mastermind safe passage for Morocco against the Portuguese.Never before has an African team reached the semi-finals of the elite competition, with Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) all failing to make it through last-eight ties.🚨HERE WE ARE🏆WC Quarter FinalsMorocco🇲🇦 🆚 Portugal🇵🇹🏟️ Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar🕕 4PM (Gmt+1)#DimaMaghrib #TeamMorocco #FIFAWorldCup @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/03JXP2SozX— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) December 9, 2022 Nonetheless, the African giants go into the match riding high in confidence as they have only conceded one goal in the four matches they have played against Croatia – who shocked tournament favourites Brazil in the first quarterfinal – Belgium, Canada and Spain, a disciplined performance they will be seeking to replicate come matchday.”We have respect for Portugal, they have great strikers. But they know we will be a challenge. We are used to playing elite teams. We have a plan and we will try to pull off a surprise, but we need to focus on us and getting better as the match goes on,” Regragui said at his pre-match news conference.No team has scored a goal against Morocco since Walid Regragui took charge on August 31. Morocco 🇲🇦 2-0 🇨🇱 ChileParaguay 🇵🇾 0-0 🇲🇦 MoroccoMorocco 🇲🇦 3-0 🇬🇪 GeorgiaMorocco 🇲🇦 0-0 🇭🇷 CroatiaBelgium 🇧🇪 0-2 🇲🇦 MoroccoCanada 🇨🇦 1-2 🇲🇦 Morocco (own goal)Morocco 🇲🇦 0-0 🇪🇸 Spain pic.twitter.com/RAW8XK4Fn7— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) December 6, 2022 The history makers, however, face a side in ominous form, with Portugal’s whopping 6-1 last-16 victory over Switzerland only the second time they’ve scored 6+ goals at a major tournament.A huge sub-plot to the victory was manager Fernando Santos opting to drop Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench, a decision fully vindicated by his replacement 21-year-old Gonçalo Ramos who netted a hat-trick on his first World Cup start!##NAJAVA_MECA_6877797##The young forward is the first player to achieve that feat on his full debut in the competition since Miroslav Klose in 2002, playing a vital role in a fluid team performance that wrapped up a first World Cup knockout win for the Seleção in 16 years.In the crucial tie, Morocco, who stand on the brink of World Cup history for Africa, will be seeking to draw strength from the handful of firsts the country has already achieved at the finals.Preparados! 💪 #VesteABandeira pic.twitter.com/AdqfdEgDzL— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) December 9, 2022 The match kicks off at 1800EAT.Saturday 18.00: (6.00) Morocco (3.60) Portugal (1.70)22.00: (3.15) England (3.20) France (2.50)***odds are subject to change
