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Right before the start of the world cup, African teams have been seen as the underdogs to other countries, but it was a different scenario when the tournament kicked off in Qatar.
Four out of five major African countries gave the world a show as they face tough opponents in their group. Ghana almost made it out of their group and Cameroon shook the world by defeating Brazil in their final group stage match but the team with the lowest performance was Tunisia. The brighter side of this tournament was seeing two african teams Senegal and Morocco qualify from their group to the round of 16. The surprising African country was Morocco who qualified from a difficult group that had Croatia the 2018 world cup runners up and Belgium who are second on the FIFA ranking and still went ahead to top the group.
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Morocco was also faced with another big challenge in the round of 16 after they were paired with Spain the 2014 world cup winners and went on to Knock them out of the competition by a penalty shootout. Many have expected Senegal to be in the position Morocco is now but to their surprise the Moroccans have turned up in an unexpected fashion. Morocco will face Portugal in the quarter final and will be hoping to be the first African team to reach the semi final of the world cup if they defeat the Portuguese team.
We now give you a breakdown on why you should place your bet on Morocco to qualify for the semi finals.
Morocco’s defensive solidity
The defensive pairing of Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd have played a major role in their progress in this tournament. Their defense line have only conceded once in this tournament which came as a result of an own goal against Canada. They look solid and composed at the back. They also have one of the best right backs in the world Achraf Hakimi who plays for Paris Saint Germain in France. This team has developed a connection at the back and it will take a lot of effort to break through their back line.
Morocco’s counter pressing
The Moroccan pressing is also what has kept them in the tournament. They do not sit back and wait for you to come at them instead they come at you right from the start of the whistle. They also have the energy and young legs to press their opponents. Their game against Spain shows how much effort they put in when they are not with the ball. The way they fight to get the ball back has been amazing. The likes of Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Boufal and Youssef En-Nesyri have been their major players who start pressing right from the front. This is one of the tactics that helped them defeat Belgium and Canada and now they face Portugal in a mouthwatering encounter.
Morocco’s attacking threat
This crowns the effort of their defensive solidity and their pressing tactics. Their attack has been in full flow since the start of the world cup. The likes of Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Boufal and Youssef En-Nesyri as their front three leading their attack is something you don’t want to be facing as a defender week in week out. The attacking threat of these players are amazing. Belgium and Canada could not keep them out because of the pace, skill and strength each of them possesses. This should be a major worry for Portugal who will face them in the quarter final.
Morocco will be facing Portugal in a mouthwatering quarter final clash and this will be a big challenge for Portugal but most especially for Morocco who will be aiming to break the record of becoming the first African team to reach the semi final if they defeat their counterpart. Portugal needs to be wary and watchful because ‘The Atlas Lions’ are coming for them.
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