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As Morocco stand on the brink of World Cup history for Africa, the Atlas Lions can draw strength from the handful of firsts the country has already achieved at the finals.

Never before has an African team reached the semi-finals, with Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) all failing to make it through last-eight ties.

Yet should Morocco eliminate Portugal - whom they beat in 1986 to become the first African team to reach the second round - on Saturday then the Atlas Lions will have scaled new heights for both the continent and the wider Arab world.

"If Morocco wins, it will be a breakthrough result," Moncef Belkhayat, the country's former minister of youth and sports, told BBC Sport Africa.

"It really will create a fantastic energy on both a social and an economical front."

Now in charge of the state-of-the-art Mohamed VI training complex in the capital Rabat, Belkhayat says "40 million Moroccans" are behind the team.

"There is a lot of joy. Everyone is becoming a fan and wants to go there," he explained.