World Cup report: Belgium 0 - 2 Morocco

Macdara Ferris reports from Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar

Morocco have put themselves in the driving seat to make the World Cup knockout stages as they moved to four points above Belgium after a stirring 2-0 victory thanks to second half goals from substitutes Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal.

They will be confident that they can takes some points off Canada in their next match to progress, while Belgium face the challenge of Croatia to come in their final group game.

Having played out an unconvincing 1-0 win over Canada in their tournament opener, Roberto Martinez changed things up for their second game and they were by far the better team in the first half. 

However, the second half performance lacked the aggression of the first as Morocco took the game to the world number two side. Ultimately the building pressure that they exerted on Belgium paid off as the European side’s run of eight consecutive group stage wins (one short of Brazil’s all-time record) came to an end.

Martinez made three switches to his starting line up and also he deployed his team with a 3-4-3 style in an attempt to break down Morocco. They were set up in a tight 4-1-4-1 with Sofyan Amrabat providing protection in front of his back four by patrolling left and right. 

The African team had the bulk of the support in the Al Thumama Stadium but Belgian had so much of the possession in the opening period that the Moroccan supporters eventually got bored of whistling and booing when the Red Devils had the ball.

A late change had forced out Bono who surrendered his starting goalkeeping jersey to Munir El Kajoui Mohamedi who was called into action inside the first five minutes. He saved from Michy Batshuayi who was Belgium’s goalscoring hero last time out. The replacement keeper showed good hands to hold onto Thorgan Hazard’s effort in the 19^th minute.

Walid Regragui’s Moroccan men did have chances to score in the first 45 with Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi and Selim Amallah all trying their luck from distance. Thibaut Courtois cracked out a Cryuff turn to beat En-Nesyri when he slid in on him in the six yard box.

Martinez’s side racked up six corners and 11 free kicks in the opening half but despite no doubt Anthony Barry’s meticulous planning they couldn’t exploit the set pieces. In fact it was Morocco made the most of their dead ball chances.

Late in the half Morocco earned a free kick that came from a fine crossfield pass from Sofiane Boufal. Ziyech’s set piece from wide right was curled wickedly into the space between the attack and goalkeeper and went directly into the net but the Moroccan skipper Romain Saiss was in an offside position.

The Mexican referee Cesar Ramos initially gave the goal but after jogging to the sidelines to review on the telly he chalked it off.

Having come so close to going in front just before half time, Morocco started the second half on the front foot and kept that going for the rest of the game.

Ziyech forced Courtois into another save and then just before the hour mark Boufal, cutting in from the left, wrapped his right foot around the ball but it didn’t quite have enough curl to beat the Real Madrid goalkeeper.

At this stage with Morocco well on top Martinez withdrew Eden Hazard and Amadou Onana bringing on Dries Mertens and Youri Tielemans.

Incredibly when the first goal came for Morocco, it was very similar to their disallowed goal with a free kick from wide causing havoc for Courtois. This time it was substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri who whipped it into the net and while Saiss was once again standing close to Courtois this one wasn’t ruled out by VAR.

Romelu Lukaku was thrown on late in the game as Belgium chased the equaliser. However with the boos and whistles from the stands spurring them on, Morocco stood firm to keep their second clean sheet of the tournament.

Not only that but the Atlas Lions doubled their lead in injury time on the break with Ziyech’s pull back from the endline swept home with power with his right by substitute Zakaria Aboukhlal to send the Moroccan supporters into delirium.

It all meant the Red Devils, after 13 consecutive World Cup group games, went down to their first defeat at this stage of the competition since Saudi Arabia beat them in 1994 and leaves them with quite the challenge to come against Croatia on Thursday.

Belgium: Thibaut Courtois; Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Timothy Castagne; Thomas Meunier (Romelu Lukaku 81),Amadou Onana (Youri Tielemans 60), Axel Witsel, Thorgan Hazard; Eden Hazard  (Dries Mertens 60), Michy Batshuayi, Kevin de Bruyne.
Subs not used: Simon Mignolet, Koen Casteels, Arthur Theate, Wout Faes, Zeno Debast, Yannick Carrasco, Charles De Ketelaere, Leander Dendoncker, Leandro Trossard, Hans Vanaken, Jeremy Doku, Lois Openda. 
Booked: None. 

Morocco: Munir El Kajoui Mohamedi; Achraf Hakimi (Abdelhamid Sabiri 68), Nayef Aguerd, Romain Saiss © , Noussair Mazraoui; Sofyan Amrabat; Azzedine Ounahi (Jawad El Yamiq 78), Selim Amallah (Yahia Attiyat Allah 67); Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri (Abderrazak Hamdallah 72), Sofiane Boufal (Zakaria Aboukhlal 72).
Subs not used: Bono, Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti, Achraf Dari, Badr Benoun, Bilal El Khannous, Ilias Chair, Amine Harit, Yahya Jabrane, Walid Cheddira, Abde Ezzalzouli. 
Booked: Abdelhamid Sabiri (90+3)

Referee: Cesar Ramos (Mexico). 
Attendance: 43,738 
extratime.com Player of the Match: Hakim Ziyech (Morocco)

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— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) November 27, 2022