LACKLUSTRE BELGIUM ARE SHOCKED BY MOROCCO

Morocco’s fans raised the roof at Al Thumama Stadium after their team caused another huge World Cup upset in Qatar with a 2-0 victory over Belgium.

This already felt a tournament too far for Roberto Martinez’s “golden generation” of Belgian players, but that should not detract at all from Morocco’s deserved achievement in beating a side featuring worldclass talents such as Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois.

The north Africans join Saudi Arabia and Japan, the conquerors of Argentina and Germany respectively, in upsetting the old order, having already claimed a creditable goalless draw themselves against 2018 finalists Croatia in their opening game.

The goals came from second-half substitutes Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal, after Hakim Ziyech had one disallowed just before half-time.

Belgium are not out of it, but may now need to beat Croatia to progress to the last 16.

● Andrej Kramaric struck twice as Croatia flexed their muscles to end Canada’s World Cup adventure with a game to spare.

The Hoffenheim striker scored either side of Marko Livaja’s finish as the beaten finalists in 2018 came from behind to win 4-1 after Alphonso Davies had given John Herdman’s side a second-minute lead – their first goal at a men’s World Cup finals tournament.

It was no more than Croatia, who completed the scoring through substitute Lovro Majer, deserved after working their way back into the game following a disjointed start at the Khalifa International Stadium.

They now top Group F on goal difference from Morocco, who had earlier stunned Belgium to reach four points, ahead of a showdown with Roberto Martinez’s men on Thursday.