FIFA World Cup 2022
Morocco Earn Shock Win over Belgium
Desk Report
Published: 27 Nov 2022, 09:24 pm
Morocco players celebrate after their win over Belgium in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Group F match at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar on 27 November, 2022 || Photo: Reuters
Abdelhamid Sabiri scored from an audaciously tight angle and fellow substitute Zakaria Aboukhlal added a second in stoppage time as Morocco pulled off a shock 2-0 win over Belgium in FIFA World Cup Group F on Sunday.
Sabiri’s free kick from near the corner flag caught out Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at the near post as it curled in for the 73rd-minute winner, securing only Morocco’s third victory at the World Cup finals.
Aboukhlal’s goal came on the counter-attack, set up by Hakim Ziyech as Belgium were caught pressing forward for the equalise.
The North Africans also had the ball in the net with the last kick of the first half as Ziyech’s free kick eluded everyone in the penalty area and caught Courtois unsighted, but a VAR check found skipper Romain Saiss had been just offside.
Morocco moved on to four points from two games with Belgium, second in the world rankings, on three. Canada and Croatia were meeting later in Sunday’s other Group F match.