da betano casino： Morocco made history in 2022 as they became one of the top four international teams in the world

da betcris： Did you know that Casablanca's Wydad had more representation in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup than a number of global football giants, including Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea?

When Morocco overcame Portugal to book their place in the last four of the competition in Qatar, they shocked the world and made history as the first African nation to reach such a stage.

Casablanca celebrated, taking enormous pride in the fact that Wydad's Yahya Jabrane, Yahia Attiyat Alla and Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti were part of the story. Joy spilled into the streets of Rabat, Marrakesh and among emigrant communities across the world too.

Here, GOAL takes a look back at some of the best moments from Morocco's historic World Cup semi-final run in 2022.

Casablanca is one of GOAL's 10 Soccer Cities in 2023 – find out more here!Raja vs Wydad: Guide to Casablanca & the fiercest African football rivalryGetty ImagesHow Achraf Hakimi led from the start 💪

Having been drawn in something of a Group of Death alongside Belgium, Croatia and Canada, Morocco needed to hit the ground running and they did that with a battling display against Luka Modric and Croatia.

The Atlas Lions defended resolutely against their much-fancied Balkan opponents and the magnitude of their efforts was encapsulated by the performance of Achraf Hakimi, who led his side impressively into their first skirmish of the tournament.

Hakimi was everywhere during the game, cutting out danger at the back and initiating forays into the other end of the pitch at every opportunity. He even went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock with a thunderous free kick.

The game finished scoreless, but Morocco were content and got a crucial point on the board.

AdvertisementGetty Images.The uproarious joy of beating Belgium 🎉

When Morocco and Belgium were drawn together in Group F, calendars would have been marked.

While the two sides are not traditional rivals, the presence of a huge Moroccan community in Belgium gave the fixture added intrigue.

Belgium arrived in Qatar as one of the pre-tournament favourites, boasting, as they did, talents such as Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtous and Eden Hazard, and they won their first game against Canada.

However, Morocco refused to roll over and held firm against their more vaunted opponents before stunning the world with an opening goal on the 73rd minute via Besiktas defender Roman Saiss.

The Atlas Lions compounded Belgium's woes in added time when Zakaria Aboukhlal latched on to Hakim Ziyech's cut-back to make it 2-0.

The victory resonated across Morocco and beyond, with riots even breaking out in places like Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Crucially, it put Walid Regragui's side in the driving seat for qualification to the knockout round and they secured top spot with a confident 2-1 win over Canada in the final match.

Hakimi's celebrations with his mother ❤️

For many Morocco fans, Achraf Hakimi's celebrations with his mother became one of the defining images of the World Cup.

The Paris Saint-Germain full-back made sure to embrace his mum after each game and she, naturally, showered him with motherly affection.

So iconic was the moment that murals appeared depicting it, including in Barcelona.

Getty ImagesPenalty perfection against Spain ⭐️

Morocco's success in Group F meant that they were drawn against the runners-up from Group E and that was Spain – previous world and European champions. Had the Atlas Lions not performed so well, they might have been drawn against Japan.

As with the Belgium game, the tie against Spain had added zeal to it thanks to the huge Moroccan population living in Spain. Indeed, Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid, while a number of Morocco stars play in La Liga, including Yassine "Bono" Bounou among others.

As it turned out, those players would prove decisive in what was a closely contested game, with Bounou saving two penalties in the shootout and Hakimi sealing victory with a cool Panenka penalty.

Not only did Morocco show adventure and belief, they demonstrated their winning nerve against seasoned opposition. Roll on the Rabat street celebrations!