Morocco Breaking New World Cup Ground For Africa

When the tournament started, Morocco were 200/1 (implied probability of 0.5 percent) outsiders to win the 2022 World Cup. After topping a group which included Belgium and Croatia, knocking out Spain in the round of 16 and their subsequent quarterfinal victory over Portugal, the African country is now just one victory away from reaching its first World Cup final.

As this chart shows, not only would this be a first for Morocco, it would be a first for a team from Africa - and the team's presence in a semifinal is already a record for an African nation. When Morocco's starting eleven make their way onto the pitch to play France on Wednesday, they will be breaking new ground for Africa on the world's biggest footballing stage. Although confidence is building among fans that they could go a couple of steps further and become champions, even a defeat to France and a shot at the 3rd place playoff should be cause for great pride for the country currently 22nd in the FIFA world rankings.