2022 World Cup: Former NFF scribe Tijani Yusuf tips Morocco for historic semi final

Former Secretary General of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Dr. Tijani Yusuf sees Morocco’s rise in football as an administrative plan which is showing on the field of play.

Atlas Lions edged Spain on penalties after goalless 120 minutes to become the fourth African team to make it to the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup.

No African team has ever made it to the semi-final stage of the World Cup and Yusuf has tipped Morocco to break the duck and qualify for the semi-final.

“Morocco is now the pride of Africa. Of course, they will go beyond the quarter-final. That’s the team of the moment,” Yusuf told Brila FM.

The North African side will face Portugal in the quarter-final with an African record in sight and the former NFF scribe says the Atlas Lions’ success was not an accident but well-planned.

“Morocco’s success was well planned and executed, unlike Nigeria. If you plan well, you get a good result. They planned for so many years and followed it assiduously and we are seeing the result,” he added.

The Moroccan side tops its group with seven points ahead of Croatia, Belgium, and Canada before defeating Spain on penalties in the Round of 16.

A win for Morocco in the quarter-final will break Africa’s World Cup record. Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, and now Morocco are the four African teams that have made it to the quarter-final stage of the World Cup.