Doha ¨C The first World Cup in the Arab world began with a shock: Saudi Arabia upsetting Argentina in a first-round game, setting off waves of jubilation in a region lacking in soccer giants.
The tournament in Qatar is reaching its final stages with another stunner: Morocco upset Portugal on Saturday to become the first country in Africa and the Arab world to ever reach the semifinals.
Morocco added Portugal ¡ª and its superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo ¡ª to the list of major European nations it has unexpectedly dumped from the tournament. Having never before contended for soccer¡¯s biggest prize, Morocco is just one game from a place in the final, after dispatching Belgium, Spain and now Portugal without allowing them a single goal.
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