Watch: Moroccan fans in UAE say World Cup win against Portugal 'is beyond wildest dreams'

Moroccan expats and football fans are in jubilant mood as Morocco created history by reaching the semi-finals stage of the Fifa World Cup. The ‘Atlas Lions’, ranked No. 22, stunned world No. 9 Portugal 1-0 in the blockbuster quarter-final encounter.

In the closing moments of a tightly fought first half, Youssef En-Nesyri delivered a moment of World Cup history by scoring a stunner, which at the end was enough to secure a famous victory. Representing the Arab world and the African continent, Morocco have made history by reaching the semi-finals stage of the biggest tournament in the world, and their fans are on cloud nine.

“I am a die-hard fan and follower of the national team. I can’t express my emotions right now. It’s surreal. It’s beyond our wildest dreams. I can’t imagine the celebrations back home. I am grateful to the support my country has been receiving from the leadership, citizens and residents,” said Moroccan expat Mounaime Oukassi in Abu Dhabi.

Another Moroccan expat Soukaina Aouane is on top of the world and was keeping her fingers crossed hoping her team can defend their one-goal advantage.

“I was praying the whole time as Portugal came close to scoring. We missed a few chances to score a second goal. The result is historic for us. We are the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. This means a lot. We went down to 10-men, but they held strong to rewrite history books. These are our dream come true moments,” she said.

Meanwhile, Indian expat Jijo Joseph is excited at the prospects of a non-European or South American side vying for the World Cup glory. Interestingly, he was supposed to fly out to Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala by 9.15pm but the flight got rescheduled for an early morning departure.

• Watch: Morocco fans jubilant in Qatar after team reach World Cup semi-finals