Morocco come into the World Cup after winning all of their second round qualifying games. In a two-leg knockout match for a spot in the World Cup, they were matched up against DR Congo. After a 1-1 draw in Kinshasa in the first leg, the tie was very much in doubt. Walid Regragui’s team displayed elegance in the second leg, winning 4-1 in Casablanca to guarantee their spot in Qatar. Morocco’s first World Cup appearance was in 1970, and this will be their sixth outing. They have only advanced past the group stage once, reaching the round of 16 in 1986 before losing 1-0 to West Germany, following group stage exits in 1970, 1994, 1998, and 2018.
Moroccan teams lost to Iran and Portugal, drew 2-2 with Spain, and finished the 2018 World Cup in Russia without a victory. When they travel to Qatar, they will undoubtedly want to do better at it. In Group F, the Atlas Lions will play Belgium, Croatia, and Canada. Although it seems like a tough World Cup group for Morocco to get out of, they have enough players with a wealth of experience for both club and nation to make a difference in Qatar.
Although Youssef En-Nesyri, Romain Saiss, Yassine Bounou, Sofyan Amrabat, and Achraf Hakimi have all had some success in Europe, it may be the Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech’s return to international play that proves to be vital. Seven months after abandoning international football, Ziyech was recalled to the Moroccan team during the most recent international break. The 29-year-old announced his retirement in February following a dispute with Vahid Halilhodzic, who was fired in August. However, coach Regragui quickly called the winger back, and he could end up being a match-winning player for his nation in Qatar.
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