Morocco pulled off the second major Arab win in the Qatar World Cup on Sunday, beating 2018 semi-finalists Belgium in Group F and inching closer to qualifying for the second round.
The Atlas Lions, ranked 22nd in the global rankings, beat the world’s second-best team 2-0 in a pulsating match at Doha’s Al Thumama Stadium.
Abdelhamid Sabiri scored from an audaciously tight angle and fellow substitute Zakaria Aboukhlal added a second in stoppage time, taking Morocco to the top of their group.
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 equaliser.
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 on three. Canada and Croatia were meeting later in Sunday’s other Group F match.
