Morocco gained a sport on the World Cup for the primary time in 24 years with an outstanding efficiency to beat Belgium 2-0 on Sunday.Each groups have been with out key gamers as Romelu Lukaku remained unfit to begin for Belgium and Moroccan goalkeeper Bono pulled out seemingly feeling unwell after the nationwide anthems.Early Morocco intent gave option to Belgium beginning to dominate, Michy Batshuayi denied by substitute goalkeeper Munir El Kajoui in a one-on-one.However the Purple Devils did not create critical probabilities and started to slide into an identical lacklustre efficiency that they put in in opposition to Canada to open their match.Achraf Hakimi darted in behind to fireside over for Morocco earlier than the Atlas Lions thought that they had taken the lead in first-half stoppage time.Learn MoreGetty ImagesHakim Ziyech’s free-kick from the precise whipped straight by way of Thibaut Courtois to ship the massive north African following wild, however VAR confirmed Roman Saiss had damaged the road from an offside place and interfered with play – which referee Cesar Ramos confirmed with a visit to the monitor.It meant greater than half of the 26 video games at this World Cup have gone into half-time goalless.Nonetheless, a objective at all times felt doubtless as Sofiane Boufal went shut for Morocco earlier than Dries Mertens got here off the bench to threaten for Belgium.However it was one other substitute, Abdelhamid Sabiri, who broke the impasse with a mirror-image of Ziyech’s disallowed strike. A low free-kick headed straight for Courtois however Saiss’ run – this time from an onside place – was sufficient to place him off and the ball hit the again of the web.Belgium threw Lukaku on however the raucous environment created by the Atlas Lions’ followers taking on Al Thumama Stadium helped create a way that Morocco have been the extra more likely to rating subsequent.And so it proved as the superb Ziyech took over an extended ball to spin a cross in the direction of Zakaria Aboukhlal, who fired excessive into the roof of the web to safe the factors in stoppage time.
Belgium 0-2 Morocco: Ziyech stars as Atlas Lions earn well-known World Cup win
