Morocco, the first team from North Africa to go to the quarterfinals, has emerged as the World Cup’s biggest surprise thus far.
Only the fourth African team to make it this far is Walid Regragui’s team, who have defied the odds to reach the last eight.
We are grateful for the four African countries that have advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals before their match against Portugal.
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With a spectacular run to the final eight at Italia ’90, Cameroon became the first African team to change opinions of the continent’s teams.
Cameroon – 1990
The Indomitable Lions won their group after opening the competition with a memorable victory over the defending champions Argentina. François Omam-Biyik sprang high to head home an incredible winner as Cameroon’s feisty style unnerved their South American opponents and reduced the champions to ten men for some reckless charges.
Veteran forward Roger Milla, who had been convinced to come out of international retirement prior to the competition, was the standout of the Cameroon team. Milla returned to the team after receiving a call from President Paul Biya of Cameroon, and he scored four goals during the team’s run to the quarterfinals.
He scored twice more as Cameroon defeated Colombia in the round of 16 after defeating Romania with a double and his trademark celebration. The Three Lions overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat them 3-2 in extra time in the round of 8, ending their winning streak against England with to two penalties from Gary Lineker.
After an unheard-of run for an African squad, Cameroon returned home, and Milla was crowned African Footballer of the Year for his contributions. The honor was given to him fourteen years after his prior coronation in 1974.
Senegal – 2002
In the opening game of the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea, Senegal shocked everyone by defeating the defending world champions France in Seoul by a score of 1-0.
The decisive goal for Senegal was scored by Papa Bouba Diop, who took advantage of hesitation from Fabien Barthez and Emmanuel Petit. This goal started an impressive run for the Lions of Teranga on their World Cup debut.
Senegal finished first in the group after drawing with Uruguay and Denmark, and Bruno Metsu’s team beat Sweden in the round of 16 with Henri Camara’s Golden Goal to advance to the quarterfinals.
Senegal’s run ended in extra-time in the final eight, as another Golden Goal brought their tournament to an end. For fellow underdog Turkey, who subsequently finished third overall after defeating co-hosts South Korea in the third-place playoff, Ilhan Mansiz scored the game-winning goal.
Ghana – 2010
After losing in a shootout to Uruguay in their 2010 quarterfinal, Ghana came the closest of any African team to making it to the semi-finals.
For the Black Stars, whose penalty kick by Asamoah Gyan nearly ended extra time, everything could have turned out very differently.
When Luis Suarez controversially handballed a goal-bound attempt clear, Gyan’s subsequent miss was mocked in Ghana by the Uruguayan forward as he celebrated in the tunnel.
Milovan Rajevac’s had reached the quarter-final after finishing as runners-up to Germany in Group D, before beating the United States – who had led a group containing England – in extra-time during the last 16.
Gyan had scored three goals during this stretch, including the game-winning goal in overtime against the USA. Ghana missed the opportunity to make history in South Africa due to his late miss against Uruguay.
Morocco – 2022
Prior to Qatar 2022, which saw Morocco defy the odds, no north African team had ever advanced past the World Cup quarterfinals.
Walid Regragui’s team won all three of their games to advance to the knockout stages as the group champions, topping a challenging group that included Belgium and Croatia.
The Atlas Lions had previously advanced to the knockout rounds in 1986, but after an unexpected victory over Spain in the round of 16, they have now done even better. In a scoreless draw, their tenacious defense limited the Spanish to just one shot on goal. They then prevailed in a shootout after Luis Enrique’s team missed all three of their attempts.
Full-back Achraf Hakimi has excelled, and Hakim Ziyech of Chelsea has played a significant role after making a U-turn over a brief international retirement.
The opportunity to advance further than any other African team before them awaits them in the quarterfinal matchup with Portugal.