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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ed Aarons

Morocco seek to be ‘remembered as heroes’ by eclipsing class of 1986

a Walid Regragui Morocco Hakim Ziyech Belgium
Morocco's Abdelhamid Sabiri (front) celebrates with teammates after scoring the first goal in a richly deserved win over Belgium.
Morocco's Abdelhamid Sabiri (front) celebrates with teammates after scoring the first goal in a richly deserved win over Belgium. Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images

For Morocco’s squad and most of the estimated 45,000 fans following them in Qatar, 1986 is not even a distant memory. Even the coach, Walid Regragui, was only 10 when Mohamed Timoumi, Abdelkrim Merry and the goalkeeper-captain Badou Zaki inspired the Atlas Lions to become the first African side to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup courtesy of a 3-1 win against Portugal. “No one expected us to beat them,” the defender Noureddine Bouyahyaoui said recently.

The success of 36 years ago could be about to repeat itself, with Morocco needing a point against Canada on Thursday to guarantee a place in the last 16 after their win against Belgium. They have not conceded a goal in six matches since Regragui took over in August, in echoes of the 1986 team.

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