‘Click, Click Bang’ Morocco Smash & Grab Against Belgium To Go Top In Group F

The Atlas Lions of Morocco drubbed the Red Devils of Belgium 2-0 at the Al Thumama Stadium to take the lead in group F ahead of Croatia’s game against Canada.

Walid kept the faith with the same 11 that started their solid draw with Croatia. Mazraoui was fit enough to start after going off on a stretcher in that game.

Belgium started the game strongly. Saiss’ hopeful ball in from the left got intercepted. Belgium countered and Batshuayi got the game’s first shot on target, latching onto Thorgan Hazard’s throughball to fire at goal. Munir raced out to block the shot and hand the Belgians a corner at the 5th minute.

Morocco’s first chance came courtesy their star Hakimi at the 35th minute of play. The full back Hakimi raced in behind the defense but had no support so decided to go for goal himself, blasting high and wide from the right side of the box.

Four minutes after, Atlas Lions skipper – Saiss gave De Bruyne the chance to whip in a free-kick from the left. The midfielder’s attempt at goal dipped onto the roof of the net.

In the first half borrowed time, Chelsea winger Ziyech went straight for goal from a free-kick, beating Courtois with a wicked effort at his near post. A few Moroccan players were there to cause confusion, and VAR ruled for off-side given Saiss’ interference before Courtois.

Belgium came back from the locker room a little livelier. Eden Hazard let rip from the right side of the box and forced Munir into tipping the ball out for a corner at the 52nd minute.

This year’s AFCON quarter-finalists weren’t just defending. Boufal dropped a shoulder to enter the box and opened up his body to angle the ball towards the bottom right corner. He wasn’t too far from finding it either as the clock read 57.

Roberto Martinez was getting twitchy and needed a response from his lads and he almost got it 5 minutes after the hour mark. Mertens skipped past a few Moroccan defenders and blasts straight at Munir from inside the D. The Moroccan goalkeeper was well placed to make a save. That was the sort of magic that Belgium were lacking.

Walid Regragui throw in his ‘secret weapons’, as he brought on Sabiri, Ati Allah and Aboukhlal, in a moment that turned the game on its head.

Having lasted on the pitch for just five minutes, Sabiri gave Morocco the lead with a carbon-copy free-kick to Ziyech’s earlier, except from the opposite side! Again, the North Africans crowded out Courtois, but there was no offside this time!

Belgium was running out of time and it was due to desperation that they flooded the camp of Morocco to seek for an equalizer.

Aboukhlal sealed the three points for Morocco. Belgium didn’t deal with Munir’s goal-kick, and the Toulouse forward fired into the roof of the net from Ziyech’s cutback.