I’ll leave the final word to Jeff Sachs
“The Moroccans have more passion. That is the difference.”
And he sent that at 0-0.
Andy Hunter has filed his match report. I’ll leave you with that, and don’t forget to join Beau Dure for Croatia v Canada in just over half an hour. Bye!
Absolute scenes!
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 27, 2022
Morocco have doubled their lead against Belgium in added time! #BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball #FIFAWorldCup
Roberto Martinez’s verdict
It’s a difficult result. We couldn’t get our game going. It’s a game we need to understand; we need to be together and react. That’s what happens at the World Cup.
We’ve been defending free-kicks that way for six years. It’s nothing to do [with not having a man on the near post].
We had good moments but we couldn’t create clear chances. If you concede a goal like that changes the game radically. We lost our composure and we couldn’t break them down. The game went away from us the moment we conceded the first goal.
The shocks so far
No World Cup since 2002 (at least) has had as many surprise results in the group stage. Here they are in full:
Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia
Germany 1-2 Japan
Japan 0-1 Costa Rica
Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador (is that a shock?)
Belgium 0-2 Morocco
England 6-2 Iran
"I’m at Midi station in Brussels and the place has gone batshit,” says David Johnson. “Seems joyous at the moment.”
The state of play in Group F
Morocco 4pts, GD+2
Belgium 3pts, -1
Croatia 1pt, 0
Canada 0pts, -1
Next!
The substitutes Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal scored the goals, reward for a second-half performance full of purpose, style and intensity. Sofiane Boufal and Hakim Ziyech was also terrific, and the defence – which still hasn’t conceded a goal under Walid Regragui – restricted Belgium to only one decent chance. Belgium had most of the ball, but too much of it was no-risk passing near the halfway line. They ended up passing themselves to sleep.
Updated
Full time: Belgium 0-2 Morocco
Portugal 1986, Scotland 1998, Belgium 2022: Morocco have won only their third match at the World Cup, and they’ll remember this one until the end of their days.
90+6 min There’s every chance this group will come down to goal difference, so that second from Aboukhlal could have significant implications.
90+5 min Sabiri is booked for a foul on Vertonghen.
90+4 min The result is a fair one. Belgium have been all hat and no cattle.
El Mohamedi’s long goalkick was headedon by Hamdallah and ricocheted off a couple of players on the edge of the area. Ziyech seized upon the loose ball, swerved away from Castagne and cut the ball back towards Aboukhlal at the near post. He sorted his feet out beautifully and clipped a first-time shot into the roof of the net.
Updated
GOAL! Belgium 0-2 Morocco (Aboukhlal 90+2)
Zakaria Aboukhlal seals a glorious victory for Morocco!
Updated
90+2 min Alderweireld’s straight pass goes through to El Mohamedi. Jeez, Belgium have been desperate.
90+2 min “There’s a massive Moroccan community in Brussels, mainly in Molenbeek,” says Blaise Baquiche. “If they win, the streets will be popping!”
90+1 min After another good break from Morocco, Hamdallah’s deflected shot from a tight angle hits Courtois and goes behind for a corner. There will be five minutes of added time.
90 min Lots of Belgium pressure, as you’d expect, but I can’t remember the last time they had a clear chance. Morocco, who are on course for a sixth successive clean sheet, have defened admirably.
88 min Mertens flips a cross towards Lukaku; it’s overhit and runs out of play. Morocco are so close to an immense victory, one that would sit proudly alongside Portugal 1986. “It’s Khairi again!”
Updated
88 min Belgium have scored in 51 of their last 52 games.
87 min “Holy cow Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Where was this Courtois in the last Champions League final?!”
86 min De Bruyne stabs a good pass into Mertens in the area, but he’s tracked all the way and calmly dispossessed by Aguerd.
85 min Almost a second for Morocco on the break. Ziyech’s return pass to Hamdallah is slightly too heavy, which allows Trossard to play last defender and clear the danger.
82 min De Bruyne’s outswinging corner is met by Vertonghen, who leans over Aguerd near the penalty spot and heads a few yards wide. It was a decent effort because Aguerd ensured he couldn’t get a clear run at the ball.
81 min: Belgium substition. Here he is: Romelu Lukaku, who hasn’t played for a month, replaces Thomas Meunier.
81 min Ziyech and Witsel both go for a high ball and end up hurting each other. There was nothing cynical in it, however, and it’s just a free-kick to Belgium.
81 mim Here’s Sabiri’s goal.
Morocco have the breakthrough! 🇲🇦
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 27, 2022
🖥📱💻 Live @BBCOne, @BBCiPlayer, @BBCSounds and via the @BBCSport app #BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball #FIFAWorldCup
79 min As it stands, Morocco are top of the group, and Belgium are in all sorts. I’m getting well ahead of myself – that’s what World Cups are for – but their last game against Croatia could effectively be a knockout tie. Both finished on the podium in Russia four years ago.
78 min Another change for Morocco: Azzedine Ounahi is replaced by Jawad El Yamiq.
77 min There’s a cat among those bloody pigeons!
75 min: Double substitution for Belgium Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere replace Thorgan Hazard and Michy Batshuayi.
Updated
The free-kick was close to the corner flag on the left, and everybody expected a cross. The substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri instead curled it at pace towards the near post, where Courtois was again put off by Saiss and then beaten by the dip on the ball. This time Saiss was onside, so the goal stands!
That’s a pretty bad mistake from Courtois, whose positioning was all wrong. He also put his weight on his left foot, assuming a cross, and was caught out when Sabiri whipped it towards goal.
Updated
GOAL! Belgium 0-1 Morocco (Sabiri 73)
Morocco have scored again from a wide free-kick, and this time it might actually count!
Updated
72 min Meunier gives away a needless foul near the corner flag on the Moroccan left. Before it is taken, Moroccan make a double change: Abderrazak Hamdallah and Zakaria Aboukhlal for Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal, who is understandably fuming at being taken off. He’s been brilliant.
Updated
71 min De Bruyne, who started as a kind of false seven (I know, I know) is now playing as the left-sided No10. I’d love to see his face if he gets the player of the match award today, because he’s done almost nothing.
Updated
71 min “Re: Roberto Martinez, I’ve been watching Everton for about ten years now and can state with certainty that Martinez’s Everton played the most dynamic, attacking, and exciting football of any of the club’s managers in that time, including a 3-0 demolition of Arsenal in 2014 that briefly put Everton in the top four and still remains the best I’ve ever seen them play,” says Matt Burtz. “However, by the end of his stint they were leaking goals at the back, with the nadir being a Goodison loss to Stoke where they somehow contrived to go from 3-2 up to 4-3 down in the last ten minutes. I suppose my point is that with Martinez you have to take the good with the bad.”
70 min Morocco are the better team at the moment.
69 min The Moroccan fans encourage Ounahi to shoot from 30 yards, and instantly regret it.
68 min: Double change for Morocco Attiyat Allah and and Abdelhamid Sabiri replace Achraf Hakimi, who was doubtful for this game with a thigh injury, and Selim Amallah.
66 min Batshuayi’s deflected shot is comfortably saved, though again there was an offside earlier in the move.
65 min: Good save from El Mohamedi! This is really good stuff now. Mertens zig-zags past two players on the edge of the D and hammers a disguised shot that is well saved by El Mohamedi, falling to his right. He pushes it out in front of goal and is relieved that it doesn’t fall for Batshuayi.
Updated
64 min Boufal beats two defenders in a phonebox on the left wing, a thrilling act of escapology, but then overhits his cross. Morocco regain possession, with Hakimi booming a cross beyond the far post. Boufal does superbly to keep it in play and volley it first-time towards En-Nesyri in the six-yard box. He is readying himself for glory when the stretching Alderweireld heads clear.
Updated
63 min An imaginative through pass from De Bruyne almost releases Mertens, though it wouldn’t have counted because Batshuayi was offside earlier in the move.
61 min Ounahi mishits a long-range shot well wide.
60 min: Double substitution for Belgium Youri Tielemans and Dries Mertens replace Amadou Onana and the sadly ineffective Eden Hazard.
59 min I’ve just realised that Belgium have switched to a back three, with Castagne as the left-sided centre-half and Meunier and Thorgan Hazard as the wing-backs.
58 min “The VAR paradox,” says Mac Millings.
“1. VAR was introduced to reduce clear and obvious errors.
2. The introduction of VAR was a clear and obvious error.”
57 min: Just wide from Boufal! This game is livening up all right. Boufal controls Ziyech’s crossfield pass on the chest, shimmies elegantly away from Meunier on the left edge of the area and shapes a curling shot that bounces just wide of the far post. Courtois might have saved it had it been on target, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
57 min In short, at this stage it’s possible five points won’t be enough to go through. If this stays 0-0, Belgium will have four and Morocco two.
56 min If it stays like this… I’ll get back to you after Croatia v Canada.
54 min The game might be starting to open up. Onana plays a good long pass to release Meunier on the right, but his cross is poor and Morocco clear.
53 min “I suppose if we have to take away any technical advances from this World Cup, then it’s the much more aesthetically pleasing VAR pictures of offside,” says Charles Antaki. “Now that we’re getting side-on images with the background cropped out, it makes the screen-grab with red/green lines seem quaintly old-fashioned.”
We’ve come a long way since 2018.
52 min Eden Hazard produces some familiar sleight of hip to beat Ounahi on the right edge of the area. Then he hits a stinging drive that is pushed round the near post by El Mohamedi, a good if fairly comfortable save. The resulting corner is headed well wide by the leaping Onana.
50 min Ziyech is in the mood today. He slows down to draw Witsel towards him, then shifts the ball to the side and cracks a left-footed shot from 25 yards that is confidently held on the bounce by Courtois.
49 min “Thanks for the reminder of 23 June 1998, Morocco’s last win - and Scotland’s last game - in a World Cup finals,” says Simon McMahon. “I became a father for the first time four days later, so a lot has happened since then, though obviously Scotland qualifying for a World Cup finals isn’t one of them. I’ve never been to see Scotland play in a World Cup finals, and my daughter, now age 24, was not alive the last time Scotland played a game at a finals tournament. I’m hoping she’s not got to wait another 40 years …”
Just for you, Simon. (Craig Brown is right, mind – that was a terrific Moroccan team.)
48 min A quiet start to the second half. I can’t remember a World Cup group stage that has had so many great moments and so many stinkers.
Updated
47 min This is one of the reasons I can’t be bothered with VAR. Let’s call it the VAR paradox, as it’s before 9pm.
1. The most euphoric moment of Hakim Ziyech’s career so far was scoring against Belgium at the World Cup.
2. Hakim Ziyech has never scored a World Cup goal.
46 min Peep peep!
“You know how everyone knew that Dugarry only got selected for France in 2000 and 2002 because he was a close friend of Zidane?” says Phil Podolsky. “It looks like Eden Hazard only got selected for Belgium because he’s Thorgan’s brother.”
Oof, that stings.
Apparently the Moroccan keeper Bounou had an eye problem – I think that’s what they said on the BBC – which is why he pulled out after the national anthems.
“The Moroccans have more passion,” says Jeff Sachs. “That is the difference.”
It is 0-0 though.
“The fact that Vertonghen and Alderweireld are still mainstays at the back is a sad indictment on the state of Belgium defenders,” says Matt Dony. “It’s like England picking Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka.”
Thing is, they have a really good replacement in Wout Faes, but for Martinez to pick him now would be quite a volte-face. Sorry, that’s dreadful.
Half-time reading
Half time: Belgium 0-0 Morocco
Peep peep!
It’s another of those slightly peculiar offsides, in that Saiss’s feet weren’t beyond the last defender. His shoulder was, however, and that’s the end of that. I think there was something similar in the Argentina/Saudi Arabia game.
The VAR image that ruled out Lautaro Martínez's goal for offside 👀 pic.twitter.com/MZESRr5eL0
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 22, 2022
Updated
NO GOAL! Belgium 0-0 Morocco
I think that’s the right decision. Saiss was fractionally offside, and his presence was one of the main reasons Courtois fumbled Ziyech’s free-kick into the net.
Updated
The referee is going to the monitor. I assume he’s being asked to decide whether Saiss is interfering with play and/or whether he touched the ball.
Updated
The free-kick was in line with the edge of the area, two or three yards to the right. Ziyech smashed it into the crowd, and the unsighted Courtois could only fumble it into the net. Trouble is, one of the players in front of Courtois, Romain Saiss, was in an offside position.
This might be ruled out for offside.
GOAL! Belgium 0-1 Morocco (Ziyech 45+2)
Ziyech does go for goal – and he scores!
Updated
45+1 min Ziyech might go for goal here…
45+1 min Ziyech twists this way and that on the right edge of the area before being fouled (sic) by Thorgan Hazard. I think it might have been a fair tackle, but this is a chance for Morocco.
45 min It’s probably unfair to call this rubbish. It’s been poor entertainment, sure, but both teams are giving everything and the quality of the play is still a few billion per cent higher than anything I’ve ever been involved in.
Also, Morocco will be just fine with the scoreline.
44 min “My brother suggests that the in-stadium air-con might be a factor in the dearth of decent free kicks so far,” begins Gary Naylor, “but might it not be that post-Pep coaches feel that it’s a bit beneath them to score so directly? You see well struck dead balls at all levels of the game - but not, so far, at the highest.”
Now all I can think about is De Bruyne’s orgiastic free-kick at Leicester a few weeks ago. Your brother’s theory is interesting – there might be something in it, although I’d rather wait until there is a bigger sample size.
42 min This is rubbish.
40 min Romelu Lukaku is doing a light warm-up. He wasn’t supposed to be ready until the third game, but he could return ahead of schedule.
39 min Free-kick to Belgium, wide on the left. De Bruyne whips it onto the roof of the net. I assume that was a shot, because if it was a cross it was badly rather than slightly overhit, and Kevin De Bruyne doesn’t do badly overhit.
Updated
37 min In today’s episode of Unsolved Mysteries.
🇲🇦 National Anthem ✅
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 27, 2022
But Munir started in goal for Morocco!
Where's Bono gone? 🤷♀️#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/3oOfKghOZh
35 min: Chance for Hakimi! That’s Morocco’s best opportunity. Hakimi ran onto to a lofted pass down the inside-right channel, away from Thorgan Hazard. He moved into the area, realised he had little support and spanked a half-volley high and wide of the near post. It wasn’t the easiest chance, especially as he was running at full speed, but he has the quality to do better.
Updated
33 min De Bruyne plays a good pass out to the overlapping Meunier, but his low cross is too close to El Mohamedi.
33 min “Can you explain why Belgium are being booed & hissed?” asks Adrian Lister.
I think it’s because the crowd is about 95 per cent Moroccan.
Updated
32 min Sterile domination.
Updated
31 min “Is Roberto Martinez overrated?” says John Kim. “Isn’t his managerial reputation mostly based on winning the FA Cup with Wigan? (no small feat, but still...) I always thought that a team with this many talents throughout the team should have at least made a final of a major competition.”
I do think there has sometimes been a bit of the snake-oil salesman about him. That said, he’s clearly a very accomplished coach, and I’ve never seen a team avoid relegation with as much style and swagger as Wigan in 2011-12. As for Belgium, I personally think they’ve achieved about par under Martinez – maybe slightly above par by beating Brazil in 2018, a game that was a tactical triumph for Martinez.
Updated
29 min Onana is booked for leading with the elbow against Ounahi. He’ll miss the final group games against Croatia.
28 min Good play from Morocco. A long cross from the left is headed down by Hakimi, and Amallah smashes a volley into orbit. It was a difficult chance.
25 min Belgium have kept the ball well enough but they’ve lacked penetration. It’s sad to see Eden Hazard, such a joyful player in his prime, once again so ineffective.
23 min Courtois produces a jaunty Cruyff-turn to beat the sliding En-Nesyri, but then spends so long high-fiving himself internally that he is almost robbed a second time by En-Nesyri. He got away with it.
21 min A confident bit of play from Ziyech, who shimmies infield and spanks one over the bar from 30 yards. Courtois had it covered.
Updated
19 min A few of you have pointed out that Bounou isn’t actually in goal for Morocco. I thought it was a U2 joke that had gone straight over my head, until the 48th email on the subject. It’s actually the reserve goalkeeper Munir Mohand Mohamedi El Kajoui.
Updated
18 min I don’t know much about the Moroccan football but I have seen few matches from the African Champions :eague and fans are really passionate and loud there,” says Bogdan Kotarlic. “Also, there are some huge stadiums which get full sometimes and the atmosphere is often electric.”
Our old friend Paul Doyle, who knows a lot more about African football than me, keeps saying that it would be a brilliant place for a World Cup.
17 min A half chance for Onana, who beats Bounou El Mohamedi to an inswinging corner but heads over the bar. It was slightly too high.
Updated
16 min A cute, training ground free-kick from Belgium ends with De Bruyne hitting a low shot from 25 yards that is blocked. I think it was going wide anyway.
Updated
16 min There’s a whiff of sterile domination about Belgium’s start to the game – they’ve had over 80 per cent of the possession, but Batshuayi’s chance is their only shot at goal. So far.
14 min “Morocco would definitely take a scoreless draw here,” says Peodair, “but I worry that over-defensiveness will only let Belgium’s attack play itself into form?”
Yes I guess it could. The key for Morocco is to carry a proper threat on the counter-attack, which they haven’t so far.
12 min De Bruyne’s free-kick isn’t the best actually, a languid floater that is headed away at the far post.
Updated
11 min De Bruyne wriggles away from Saiss, just outside the area on the right, and is brought down. This is a chance for Belgium…
8 min “The booing and whistling of the Belgium team in possession is out of this world,” says Hugh Molloy. “My ears are hoping Morocco get plenty of the ball!”
It’s really coming across on the TV coverage too – Belgium are being whistled even when they are passing the ball around harmlessly at the back.
6 min The resulting corner brushes the head of a Moroccan defender and goes not far wide of the far post.
5 min: Good save from Bounou El Mohamedi! Thorgan Hazard cuts inside from the left and angles a fine through ball towards Batshuayi. He times his run perfectly between Aguerd and Saiss and screws a first-time shot that is well blocked by the outrushing Bounou El Mohamedi.
Updated
4 min “How come,” says Chris Cheetham, “the Morocco kit link sent me to the Lithuania site?”
I’m not sure, but my career flashed before me when I read the words ‘sent me to the Lithuania…’. I’ve never been so pleased to see the Puma Lithuania home page.
3 min While Canada attacked Belgium from the off, Morocco look happy to sit in and play on the break. Different tactics for different needs.
2 min Yep, it’s a back four for Belgium, although it looks like Eden Hazard rather than Kevin De Bruyne is the No10. De Bruyne is playing as a roaming inside-right – a false 7, if you won’t.
Belgium (4-2-3-1) Courtois; Meunier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Castagne; Onana, Witsel; De Bruyne, E Hazard, T Hazard; Batshuayi.
1 min Peep peep! Belgium, in their red home strip, kick off from left to right. Morocco, alas, are in their white change kit.
Updated
“My wife, who is from Morocco and happens to be working in Marrakesh this week, will be hanging out with the bar staff at her 5-star hotel to watch the match,” writes Alistair Connor. “Quite possibly nipping out to the pool at half time, it’s a sunny 28° there. I should have gone with her, I’ve got nothing better to do than sit at home in France watching the football on TV...
“Götterdämmerung is an emerging theme at this WC. Ronaldo, Bale, Neymar, even Messi, add your own favourites, use-by date. Belgium won’t be taken by surprise by this zippy Moroccan crew, but they may be overrun? Inshallah.”
The players line up for the anthems. Kevin De Bruyne doesn’t move a muscle during Belgium’s; in fact he looks as happy as Roy Keane in the ITV studio after a lethargic first-half performance.
“While #2 seems silly high for Belgium, as long as they have that magic Grady fellow (along with Courtois) who knows how far they could go,” says Zach Neeley. “Though I thought France would suffer without Kante/Pogba/Benzema and half way through the group stage they’re the only team to have won twice, so what do I know.”
Here’s more on Costa Rica’s surprise victory over Japan, which has given them – and Germany – a World Cup lifeline.
Meet Grady Kevin, a 31-year-old footballer from Manchester
I haven’t had chance to read this yet – four games a day and all that – but it looks terrific.
“With red-red being the colours today, it’s hard to tell,” says Hugh Molloy, “but I can confirm the crowd is 95% Morocco fans. Mood is excited and buzzy without the fervour, and booze, of the later games. So far.”
Do we know which team will be wearing their home kit? I hope it’s Morocco, which for mine is the best kit in the tournament.
Updated
“I’m sorry, I know this isn’t the Costa Rica page but my emails kept bouncing back,” says Alexandra Fullerton. “May I just say yeeessssssss!!!!!!!!! Much better. Still crap but better. Wow wow wow. It’s still on! Pura vida!!!!!!”
Pleased though I am for the team no longer known as CR7, it hasn’t half killed the jeopardy of tonight’s big game. Germany can now lose to Spain and still reasonably expect to qualify.
It looks like Bobby Martinez has done a reverse Bobby Robson, switching to a back four after the first game of a World Cup. I can’t remember the last time Belgium started a game with this system; the quarter-final against Brazil in 2018 maybe.
There are three changes from the Canada game. Everton’s Amadou Onana, who was excellent as substitute as Canada, replaces Youri Tielemans in midfield. Thomas Meunier and Thorgan Hazard are in for Leander Dendoncker and Yannick Carrasco.
Morocco are unchanged.
Belgium (possible 4-2-3-1) Courtois; Meunier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Castagne; Onana, Witsel; T Hazard, De Bruyne, E Hazard; Batshuayi.
Substitutes: the rest.
Morocco (4-3-3) BounouEl Mohamedi; Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal.
Substitutes: the rest.
Referee Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos (Mexico)
Updated
Team news
Sunday XI. 🇧🇪 #SelectedbyPwC #BELMAR #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/QPcF4UGhU9
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) November 27, 2022
🚨 التشكيلة الرسمية للمنتخب الوطني أمام منتخب بلجيكا
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 27, 2022
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗫𝗜 against Belgium 🇧🇪#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 #TeamMorocco #FIFAWorldCup @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/pLJacl9RhR
Preamble
Belgium, it says here, are the second best team in the world after Brazil. In fact, they’ve been in the top two of the Fifa rankings for over four years. But you wouldn’t have known it from their opening game against Canada on Wednesday. Belgium’s senescent side (average age 30.5, the highest in the competition so far) looked, well, old, and endured a pretty uncomfortable night. They also won 1-0. Even in an age of xG, hot takes and style entitlement, that’s still the most important thing. The result was another reminder that what age taketh away, experience giveth.
Another victory today against Morocco would put Belgium into the last 16 with a game to spare. Morocco played pretty well in their 0-0 draw with Croatia, but it was another World Cup game without a victory. Their last was against Scotland, which gives you an idea of long it’s been. It’s surprising, given the enduring impression made by the teams of 1986 and 1998, to realise Morocco have only ever won two matches at the World Cup. This would be quite the time for a third.
Kick off 1pm GMT, 4pm in Al Thumama, 2pm in Brussels and Rabat.
