Morocco are on track to become the first African team to win their World Cup group since 1998, after their 2-0 win over Belgium at World Cup 2022.
The Atlas Lions impressed in holding Croatia to a goalless draw in their Group F opener on Wednesday – and they went one better on Sunday afternoon.
Abdelhamid Sabiri's cleverly worked 73rd-minute free-kick (after Hakim Ziyech had an almost identical effort ruled out in first-half stoppage time for offside following a VAR check) and Zakaria Aboukhlal's 92nd-minute strike downed Roberto Martinez's side – who finished third at the 2018 World Cup – at the Al Thumama Stadium.
Absolute scenes! Morocco have doubled their lead against Belgium in added time! #BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball #FIFAWorldCupNovember 27, 2022
The victory means that if Morocco better Belgium's result in the final round of group games, they will be the first African nation since Nigeria – who won their group at France 98 and USA 94 – to advance to the last 16 as group winners.
It would be the second time the Atlas Lions have done so: they topped a group also containing England, Poland and Portugal in 1986 – the only previous occasion on which they've reached the knockout stages of the World Cup.
As for Belgium, this was their first defeat in the group stage of a World Cup since losing 1-0 to Saudi Arabia in 1994.
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