The 2nd highest ranked team in the World just lost by two goals to the team ranked 22nd as the Atlas Lions of Morocco record a 2-0 victory against Belgium’s Red Devils.
Walid Regragui continues his brilliant return as Morocco manager as the 47-year-old still hasn’t lost a game since his appointment in August 2022. He now becomes the first Morocco manager since 1998 to lead the Atlas Lions to a World Cup victory.
Two substitutes came off the bench to secure the victory for the North African nation. Following a tightly contested first half that saw a goal from Hakim Ziyech ruled out for offside, the Moroccan coach threw on Abdelhamid Sabiri in the 68th minute and Zakaria Aboukhlal in the 73rd minute amongst a host of substitutions to try and change the game.
Sabiri stepped up in the 73rd minute and curled in a freekick from an improbable angle, beating Thibaut Courtois at his near post to give Morocco the lead. His goal, the first direct free kick scored at this year’s finals.
Belgium went searching for an equalizer, determined not to end their 13-game unbeaten run at the World Cup group stage. The last time Belgium lost in the group stage of the World Cup, was a 1-0 loss to Saudi Arabia at the 1994 finals.
However, the equalizer never came and in the 93rd minute Morocco made sure they were leaving the Al Thumama stadium with all three points.
Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech wriggled free in the box to set up Aboukhlal as he rifled home into the roof of the Belgian net.
It’s all to do now for Belgium as they need a positive result against 2018 finalists Croatia on Thursday to qualify for the last-16. As for Morocco, the victory puts them in control of their own fate, now on the brink of just their second knockout appearance in World Cup history.
