World Cup 2022: Morocco defender hilariously kisses Pepe after big miss

• Morocco defender Jawad El Yamiq was responsible for a viral moment during the win over Portugal
• Yamiq was so excited after Pepe missed a gilt-edged chance that he kissed the defender on the head
• The Atlas Lions will now come up against either England or France in the semi-finals

Morocco player Jawad El Yamiq is fast becoming an internet meme for his hilarious reaction to Pepe’s miss late in the game during Morocco’s clash against Portugal.

The Atlas Lions clung on to a 1-0 lead which came late in the first half courtesy of Youssef En-Nesyri.

Portugal, who were considered favourites for the clash, threw everything at the Moroccans in a bid to get the equalizer, but nothing was forthcoming.

The introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo to the action early in the second half did little to help Portugal, who continued to struggle to break down a sturdy Morocco defence.

Qatar 2022: Curious footage shows Cristiano Ronaldo insisting he scored opener vs Uruguay

Football

Morocco have conceded just once at the World Cup so far, and that goal was scored by their own player.

It is no secret that Walid Regragui’s side pride themselves in resolute defending, and this was evident late in the game against A Selecao.

Veteran defender Pepe was presented with a solid chance to score for his nation in the seventh minute of added time deep in the second half, but his header somehow went wide, to the relief of Morocco players.

One player who was delighted to see the ball go wide was El Yamiq, who, in the heat of the moment, went on to kiss Pepe on the head as the 39-year old came to terms with his missed chance.

What made the whole incident more hilarious was the fact that Pepe was so engrossed in his miss that he did not notice El Yamiq’s gesture.

World Cup: Referee bizarrely cancels penalty because of offside

Football

Pepe slams referee

Sports Brief also reported on how Pepe was adamant the Argentine referee in charge of the clash against Morocco was against his Portugal side.

After the game, media caught up with 38-year-old Pepe, who had nothing to lose now that Portugal was out of the competition.

In his post-match comments, the former Real Madrid man did not hold back as he called out referee Facundo Tello for what he termed as his tendency to constantly stop the game.