M orocco created history after beating Portugal 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2022 quarterfinal. With this victory, the Atlas Lions also became the first African nation to clinch the semi-final spot in World Cup history. The game was a battle between Portugal’s abundant attacking arsenal against a water-tight Moroccan defence.
After scoring an early goal, the Atlas Lions sat back and soaked up the pressure to see out the victory. But a moment from the dying moments of the game has gone viral, which was probably Portugal’s best scoring opportunity in the game. Veteran defender Pepe found himself unmarked in the box but failed to convert an open header which could have changed the course of the game dramatically.
However, after the miss, Moroccan defender Jawad El Yamiq surprised a lot of fans as he kissed the bald head of Pepe immediately after his change. The video of the incident has gone viral, where the Portuguese veteran has his hands on his head and is greeted by El Yamiq with a kiss.
Watch the video here:
After the game, Pepe expressed that the official during the game was from Argentina and hence he didn’t favour the Navegadores. While talking to the media, the former Real Madrid defender deemed the appointment of an Argentine referee as ‘unacceptable. He then questioned the decisions taken by the official in the second half. "It is unacceptable for an Argentine referee to officiate our game," Pepe said.
“After what happened yesterday, with [Lionel] Messi talking, all of Argentina talking and the referee comes here to blow the whistle. I'm not saying that he comes here conditioned... but what did we play in the second half?”