The Atlas Lions will play a draw against already eliminated Canada this Thursday to play the round of 16 of a World Cup for the second time in their history
Morocco faces the last day of the first stage of the World Cup in Qatar with headwinds to return to the round of 16 36 years later. The Atlas Lions, tied on four points with Croatia at the top of Group F, need only a draw against already-eliminated Canada to at least match their World Cup cap, recorded by the North Africans in Mexico ’86.
The Federal Republic of Germany then cut the path of a team that had just drawn a draw with Poland and England, defeating Portugal, in a round where Ezaki Badou was their main bastion. Diamantino, a midfielder born in the Portuguese city of Setúbal who made his career at Benfica, was the only footballer able to beat the lanky goalkeeper who would later spend five seasons in the ranks of Mallorca before Lothar Matthäus put an end to the epic of the first combination that really put the African continent on the World Cup map. “That World Cup 86 stayed in my soul. It belonged to Maradona, but also mine,” claimed the goalkeeper born in the late 1950s in Sidi Kacem.
The long journey through the desert in which the Atlas lions have since plunged seems to be coming to an end in Qatar, thanks in particular to the defensive solidity that underpins the proposal of Walid Regragui, a former Moroccan footballer born in France who has ability to dream returned to the Alawite kingdom. The draw against Croatia on the first day and especially the victory against Belgium on the second day of a tournament in which its fervent fans almost feel at home, put Morocco in a very favorable position for the group stage result.
If they beat Canada, Morocco will jump to the round of 16 as first or second in the group, depending on what happens in the game between Croatia and Belgium. The tie is also enough to certify the passport second. But defeat would put their future at the expense of the battle between checkers and red devils.
A scenario, the latter, that they don’t even want to think about in the Moroccan dressing room, spurred on by Bono’s recovery. The goalkeeper was absent at the last minute for the game against Belgium and despite the substitute, Munir, keeping the goal safe, the return of the Sevilla goalkeeper is great news due to his hierarchy and dominance of the dugout. “He is still number 1, one of the leaders,” his coach agreed on Wednesday. Amrabat, Amallah, Ziyech or Achraf are other pillars of a team that, having shown their ability to handle a world number two and the second team in the FIFA rankings by first name, is determined to keep going strong.
Appeasing the Atlas Lions to bid farewell to a match in which they left more thrills than results is Canada’s goal. “We have one more game to play, against Morocco. We want a result, a win for Canada and show the country that we are on the right track for 2026,” explained Englishman John Herdman, coach in the country of the maple leaf that will host alongside the United States and Mexico ., the World Cup to be held in four years.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
