2-0 Victory Thanks to Goals by Sabiri and Abuhalal
First WC Win in 24 Years Since the 1998 France Tournament
Another upset occurred at the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup. Morocco, ranked 22nd by FIFA, defeated second-ranked Belgium 2-0 in the second group stage match of Group F held on the 27th (Korean time) at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
In the 28th minute of the second half, after a goalless battle, Abdulhamid Sabiri (Sampdoria) broke the deadlock. He curled a low and fast right-footed free kick from the right side of the opponent's penalty area. The shot passed the goal line without touching any attackers or defenders.
Belgium brought on Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), who had been on the bench due to a hamstring injury, with about 9 minutes remaining, but they failed to open the opponent's goal. Instead, in stoppage time of the second half, they could not stop Hakim Ziyech (Chelsea), who quickly penetrated the left side of the penalty box, allowing Zakaria Aboukhlal to score the clinching goal.
Morocco repaid a 0-1 loss to Belgium at the 1994 USA World Cup after 28 years. This World Cup victory is their first in 24 years since the group stage match against Scotland (3-0) at the 1998 France tournament. With 1 win and 1 draw, earning 4 points, they topped the group, surpassing Belgium (3 points, 1 win 1 loss). The ranking may change depending on the result of the match between Croatia and Canada, which will be held at 1 a.m. on the 28th.
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