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Topics: Football, Portugal, Football World Cup, Qatar
Chris Byfield
Topics: Football, Portugal, Football World Cup, Qatar
Portugal take on Morocco in a crucial quarter-final tie at the Al Thumama Stadium.
A tactically astute Morocco held off Spain in their round-of-16 tie, before emphatically beating La Roja 3-0 on penalties.
Walid Regragui’s side are the surprise package of the tournament, and if they come out on top against Portugal, will become the first African side in history to reach the last four of the World Cup.
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Meanwhile, Fernando Santos was rewarded for benching Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's last-16 tie against Switzerland, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s replacement Goncalo Ramos netting a hat-trick and claiming an assist as A Seleção ran out 6-1 winners.
A lot is at stake for the Portuguese, who themselves have only reached a World Cup semi-final twice before in 1966 and 2006.
Here is who’s in charge of proceedings in Doha.
Argentine match official Facundo Tello will referee Portugal vs Morocco, having previously officiated two group-stage clashes - Switzerland vs Cameroon and South Korea's victory over Portugal.
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While Tello only gained his FIFA badge in 2019, the 40-year-old has refereed for almost a decade, starting in Argentina’s Primera Nacional, the country’s second tier.
In 2013/14 he was selected to referee three top-flight games and has since remained a regular fixture in both divisions for the subsequent three seasons.
Tello has also taken on a number of Copa Argentina and Copa Libertadores matches while he officiated four World Cup qualifiers in the build-up to Qatar.
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On the whole, the Argentinian is relatively lenient, having issued just five bookings in his two World Cup games.
However, he has been known to get tough when needed - Tello sent off 10 players and coach Hugo Ibarra in this year’s Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional between Boca Juniors and Racing.
Here are the other confirmed match officials for Portugal vs Morocco:
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
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Assistant Referee 1: Ezequiel Brailovsky (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Fourth Official: Iván Arcides Barton Cisneros (SAL)