Sports
Qatar 2022: Morocco beat Portugal to become first African side at semi-final
Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final and ended the hopes of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Striker Youssef En-Nesyri scored the winning goal in the first half, leaping highest to beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa to the ball and heading in to spark pandemonium at Al Thumama Stadium.
The north African side’s supporters populated most of the venue and joyously celebrated their breakthrough moment on the global stage.
Ronaldo came off the bench in the 50th minute to equal the men’s all-time appearance record of 196 in international matches, but he could not drag his side back into the contest.
Morocco, who will face England or France in the last four, were happy to play on the counter and grabbed the opener just before the break when En-Nesyri headed in from Yahya Attiyat-Allah’s cross.
Portugal skipper Bruno Fernandes came agonisingly close to levelling just minutes later but a brilliant individual effort struck the crossbar.
Decimated by injuries, Morocco sat back for the majority of the second half and Yassine Bounou brilliantly tipped over Joao Felix’s drive – the closest they came to an equalizer.
Morocco striker Walid Cheddira was sent off for a second yellow card in eight minutes of additional time but Portugal could not find the equaliser as their last-four hopes were dashed.
Magnificent Moroccans make history
Three African sides had previously reached this stage of the World Cup but none had progressed any further. Until now.
The marvellous Moroccan players and fans rejoiced as En-Nesyri’s header on 42 minutes proved to be the pivotal moment.
Fans whistled and jeered every pass the Portuguese players made and then the rowdiest section behind the goal seemed to suck the ball into the net.
Walid Regragui’s side were missing West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd, Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui and lost captain Romain Saiss to injury early in the second period.
But they defended resolutely and frustrated Portugal to keep their seventh clean sheet in eight games under their boss and have conceded just once in this tournament.
Morocco are a tough proposition and buoyed on by a partisan crowd in Doha, they will present a difficult challenge to whoever they face in the last four on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper Bounou, earning his 50th cap, pushed away a header from Felix early on and a deflected strike flew narrowly over.
Morocco had carved out the better opportunities on the break but En-Nesyri sent two free headers off target and Sofiane Boufal’s curler was straight at costa.
In his desperation for an equaliser, Fernando Santos sent on Ronaldo early in the second half but the 37-year-old – who equalled Kuwait striker Bader Al-Mutawa’s international caps record – found it difficult to make any impact.
Having seen rival Lionel Messi reach the semi-finals on Friday, Ronaldo could not do the same with his side on what is likely to be his final World Cup appearance, trudging down the tunnel in tears at full-time as his dream was over.
Source: myjoyonline
Kylian Mbappe of Paris St-Germain has been named the new captain of the France national team.
He takes over for Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who announced his retirement from international football in January.
On Tuesday, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed Deschamps’ selection of Mbappe as captain and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann as vice-captain via social media.
“Kylian meets all the requirements to have this responsibility,” France manager Didier Deschamps told French TV channel TF1 in an interview to be aired on Sunday.
“On the field as in the life of the group, by being a unifying element.”
On Tuesday, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed Deschamps’ selection of Mbappe as captain and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann as vice-captain via social media.
Mbappe was the top scorer at last year’s World Cup, helping France to a second consecutive World Cup final, which they lost to Argentina.
He scored two goals against Croatia in the 2018 final and was named the tournament’s best young player as France won the World Cup for the second time.
Deschamps’ team faces the Netherlands in their first Euro 2024 qualifier at the Stade de France on Friday, before facing the Republic of Ireland on Monday.
After being released from prison in Sweden earlier this month, Asante Kotoko winger Joseph Amoako has returned to the club.
Amoako, who was on loan at relegated Swedish Allsvenskan club Helsingborgs IF for the season, was reportedly found guilty of statutory rape of a minor in Sweden and sentenced to two years in prison.
After being charged with having sexual relations with a minor, the 20-year-old was detained in Swedish Police custody in November 2022 for a court trial.
Due to the rape allegations, Helsingborgs IF cancelled his loan deal before the contract with his parent club, Asante Kotoko, expired in January 2023.
The Helsingborgs District Court initially found the talented young winger guilty on two counts and sentenced him to 24 months in prison, but the charges were dropped after an appeal.
Amoako, who arrived in Ghana last week, paid a visit to his teammates on Wednesday morning at the Adako Jachie Training Complex in Kumasi.
After Kingsley Sarfo and Kwame Bonsu, he was the third Ghanaian footballer to be wrongfully imprisoned in Sweden on rape charges.
Amoako struggled for playing time at Helsingborgs IF, where he appeared in only ten (10) games — 295 minutes — across all competitions.
Asante Kotoko did not register him for this season, so he is ineligible to play for the Porcupine Warriors in the 2022/23 Ghana Premier League.
Chris Hughton, the new head coach of the Black Stars, will be introduced today in Kumasi at the SG Mall in Ayigya.
Following successful negotiations with the Sports Ministry and the Ghana Football Association, the 64-year-old who replaced Otto Addo has been in charge of the team since last month.
Hughton’s contract details and other pertinent information will be revealed at the unveiling.
Ghana will play Angola in a double header AFCON Qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium on Thursday, March 23, 2023, before travelling to Luanda for the rematch on March 27.
Source: citinewsroom.com
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