MOROCCO STUN BELGIUM
Morocco produced the latest Qatar 2022 surprise beating Belgium to boost hopes of reaching knockout rounds for the first time since 1986
MOROCCO deservedly beat a poor Belgium 2-0 to blow World Cup Group F wide open on Sunday as yet another unexpected result hit Qatar 2022. Substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri sent in a free-kick from out wide on 73 minutes and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois allowed the ball to sneak under his body at the near post under pressure from Romain Saiss. It was very similar to the end of the first half when Morocco thought they had taken the lead through Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick. But after a video review, the referee decided the offside Saiss was interfering in play as he moved to head the ball in front of Courtois. Zakaria Aboukhlal added Morocco’s second in stoppage time to send the the throngs of fans wild in Al Thumama Stadium. Morocco, who drew 0-0 with Croatia in their first game, had not won a World Cup match since 1998 and are now in real contention for the last 16 having only previously managed the feat in 1986.
MOROCCO deservedly beat a poor Belgium 2-0 to blow World Cup Group F wide open on Sunday as yet another unexpected result hit Qatar 2022.
Substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri sent in a free-kick from out wide on 73 minutes and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois allowed the ball to sneak under his body at the near post under pressure from Romain Saiss.
It was very similar to the end of the first half when Morocco thought they had taken the lead through Hakim Ziyech’s
free-kick. But after a video review, the referee decided the offside Saiss was interfering in play as he moved to head the ball in front of Courtois.
Zakaria Aboukhlal added Morocco’s second in stoppage time to send the the throngs of fans wild in Al Thumama Stadium.
Belgium, ranked second in the world, had won eight World Cup group stage games in a row and another would have put them in the last 16.
Morocco, who drew 0-0 with Croatia in their first game, had not won a World Cup match since 1998 and are now in real contention for the last 16 having only previously managed the feat in 1986. It was just their third win in 18 World Cup games and surely their greatest.
Morocco coach Walid Regragui was only in his fifth game in charge.
Bayern Munich full back Noussair Mazraoui, who recovered from a knock to play, said: “The game was unbelievable. We have won as a team, defended as a team, fought as a team. It is a good day for all Moroccans in the world.” Canada, Morocco’s next opponents, are facing Croatia on Sunday.
Belgium were no more flowing than the very fortunate 1-0 win over Canada in their opener, with striker Romelu Lukaku having to come on late on to try to find a goal despite not being fully fit.
“It is a difficult result because the first goal affected a lot the outcome,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said.
“It was a dead ball situation and from that point we couldn’t get our game going.
“I think we had good moments but we couldn’t get clear chances.”
Martinez brought Borussia Dortmund duo Thorgan Hazard and Thomas Meunier as well as Amadou Onana into the starting line-up. But Onana saw another booking in an errorstrewn display and will miss the Croatia game on Thursday, while the other changes made no difference.
Morocco were forced into a late alteration just before kickoff, with goalkeeper Monir ElKajoui
entering the fray and impressing after Yassine Bounou appeared to have an eye problem.
Kevin De Bruyne, oddly anonymous against the Canadians, was a bit more involved but still not himself as the 2018 third-placed side showed very little initiative.
Enterprising Morocco arguably had the best opportunity of the first half when Achraf Hakimi charged down the wing but fired wide.
Noisy Morocco fans
The north Africans are superbly disciplined and, with a game against Canada to come, they will believe in their chances of going further after their first victory at the World Cup since beating Scotland 3-0 in 1998. Morocco have now gone six games without conceding.
It’s going to be even tougher when we get to the knockout stage, but we have matched two of the best teams in the world.
Morocco coach Regragui
were upset with the offside call on half-time but it looked correct, even if it initially spared Courtois’ blushes after he let the ball creep in having been superb against Canada.