1. They’ve done it!
It was a mammoth sporting moment of Moroccan marvel and Portuguese despair that left a cranky Cristiano Ronaldo in tears.
Ronaldo will never win the World Cup but the African nation of Morocco just might.
The tournament began with a historic feat by Ronaldo becoming the only man to score in five World Cups. It now has another first, and may yet end with a greater achievement.
Against all the odds, Morocco are into the last four after stunning Portugal 1-0, and are dreaming of taking down another European heavyweight, France, next.
They are a gutsy, spirited and well-drilled team truly worthy of their place in the semi-final, a feat that has never been achieved by an African nation.
Staying true to their reputation of being hard as nails, the Atlas Lions played with determined defending and canny counter-attacks to shock a star-studded Portugal team.
With that they completed more than seven hours of football without conceding to an opposition player.
The goal that earned Morocco a slice of history came from Youssef En-Nesyri’s Ronaldo-esque header in the 42nd minute.
Leaping up into the air like a young Ronaldo, En-Nesyri had some ridiculous hangtime to connect with Yahia Attiyat-Allah’s cross.
After that, there was just no way past Morocco, and in the closing stages they held on with just 10 men. And an entire continent.
2. Another beautiful day for Moroccan football
Rockstar goalkeeper Bono, whose namesake is the U2 rocker, rocked again with some pulsating saves in the latest World Cup shock.
It is fitting that the overall performance of Morocco be premised on all manner of U2 songs of acclaim and brilliance.
Here it goes: It was “pride” in the name of the glove for Yassine Bounou, who was unflappable as cross after cross was launched his way.
The keeper, whose nickname adorns the back of his jersey, helped make it another “beautiful day” for his country as Portugal suffered a “blackout”.
The Atlas Lions stood as “one” to earn the “sweetest thing” of a spot in the semis along with France, Argentina and Croatia.
Their “desire” to go where no African nation has gone before was done in “mysterious ways” in terms of making the big boys “numb” through their belief of “no line on the horizon”.
“Magnificent” Morocco are enjoying “elevation” in world football, and “luminous times” are ahead for them even if they don’t make the final.
Meanwhile, the fortunes of Ronaldo, who has failed to win his first World Cup, is wrapped around “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”
3. The Incredible Sulk
Ronaldo was a sulk, leaving the pitch in a huff and marching down the tunnel in tears after the final whistle.
The latest version of the maligned superstar drew wide criticism of him lacking sportsmanship in terms of ignoring fans, his teammates and his opponents.
For someone we are unlikely to see in a Portugal shirt again, the fans gave him a torrid time.
A fan threw water at him on the touchline while he warmed up as a substitute. When his introduction as a sub came six minutes into the second half, we had the loudest jeers of the night.
Four minutes later, the spectators booed him for throwing tantrums at a teammate, Diogo Dalot, for not passing to him when he was in a decent position.
When he ran on, Ronaldo had 118 international goals; when he walked off again, he still had 118.
On a brighter note, Ronaldo equalled Fifa’s record for men’s international caps, matching Kuwait’s Badr Al-Mutawa with his 196th appearance.
What now for the 37-year-old? Perhaps a lesson in sportsmanship while waiting to play for a new club.
4. Arabs rejoice as one
Morocco’s win over Portugal is viewed by many as a victory for every Arab – all 450 million of them.
From Morocco in north Africa all the way to the Gulf States, they are united, not in politics, but in sport.
For fans in Middle East countries, the World Cup provided an opportunity for a generally under-represented football region to be seen and heard.
To them, success means something extra. A common cause means transcending national boundaries and local antagonisms.
The dominating chant has been the now famous Moroccan “seer” which translates as “go” or “go ahead”.
There are parallels to 2010, when all of Africa appeared to unite around Ghana for their tie with Uruguay, and the mantra then was Shakira’s earworm “This time for Africa”.
5. Lump in throat celebrations
A much needed collective joy erupted not just in the Arab world but in Europe and the USA as well.
Social media images showed landmarks in Arab cities lit in the colours of the Moroccan flag while elsewhere thousands of people gathered to watch the tense game on big screens.
Many spectators have used the World Cup as a chance to be vocal about the Palestinian cause and make the flag more visible. The Palestinian flag was visible in all the games that Morocco played, with the team and spectators waving it during victory celebrations.