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Belgium were stunned 2-0 by a spirited Morocco side at the Al Thumama Stadium in their Group F encounter of the 2022 FIFA World Cup today (November 27).
Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal scored in the second half for the Atlas Lions, who are on the brink of reaching the round of 16.
Belgium, ranked second in the world, struggled to break down a stoic Moroccan side and never managed to create clear-cut chances.
The Red Devils even appeared to fall behind seconds before the break when Hakim Ziyech had the ball in the back of the net. However, they were handed a reprieve after the referee ruled it out for offside on Romain Saiss.
However, Roberto Martinez's side refused to learn their lesson and continued to labor their way into the second period too.
Sabiri put Morocco in front directly from a free-kick in the 73rd minute. This prompted Belgium to commit bodies forward, only to leave acres of space behind.
The north African outfit then hit them on the break in stoppage time with Ziyech feeding Aboukhlal to fire home their second and put the contest to bed.
Like many other games, this one too ended goalless at the break. However, we have yet another upset in the end and one that Moroccan fans will remember forever.
With this result, Walid Regragui's side find themselves second in their group with four points and on the edge of the last 16. This could be confirmed with a win over Canada in their last game on December 1.
Belgium, however, are under immense pressure now as they face Croatia in their last game in what could be a do-or-die clash for them. Here are the five talking points from the match:
#5 Another upset at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has been strange in many ways, with several big sides struggling to hit their best and crumbling to shock defeats.
Before this one, we had seen Argentina go down 2-1 to Saudi Arabia and Japan beat Germany 2-1. Costa Rica then triumphed 1-0 over Samurai Blue earlier today.
Morocco's stunning 2-0 victory over Belgium has now been added to the growing list of upsets at this tournament. Given the way the latter were playing today, this had been coming.
#4 Belgium were all sizzle, no steak
This was truly a disappointing performance from Belgium. However, they had 67% possession, 10 shots and nearly twice as many passes as their opponents, which makes their result look much worse.
The Red Devils, for all their star-studded squad, struggled to break down a resolute Moroccan side. This is despite Kevin de Bruyne and Thorgan Hazard working hard from the wings.
Things opened up a little after the break, but even then, Roberto Martinez's side were a long way from conjuring a clear-cut opportunity. They squandered their chances from set-pieces. Belgium had a staggering nine corners in the match but failed to convert even one.
#3 Morocco serve a lesson in defending
Morocco, ranked 20 places below Belgium, were the firm underdogs here. They looked set for a defeat only for them to tear the script apart and secure one of their greatest wins in the competition.
Laying the foundations of that victory was their resolute defense.The Atlas Lions kept the mighty Red Devils at arm's length for much of the game by blocking all passing lanes.
In fact, the north African outfit didn't face a single shot on target in the first half.
With not enough space to work through the middle, Belgium were forced to look to their wingers. They forced several set-pieces, but Morocco were strong aerially too, clearing all incoming crosses.
#2 Sabiri nets a wonderful free-kick
Morocco went ahead in the match through a direct free-kick from Abdelhamid Sabiri. It was also the first goal from a direct free-kick of the tournament, and it couldn't have been struck better.
The 25-year-old stood up over the dead ball from about 25 yards out but from a difficult angle. He nonchalantly curled the ball in beyond Thibaut Courtois' despairing dive, who arguably should have done better.
It was a free-kick of top quality and one that even Lionel Messi would be proud of.
#1 Group F blown wide open
Coming into the match, Belgium had three points from their opening-day win over Canada, while Morocco, who drew with Croatia, were on just one.
Another win for the Red Devils seemed almost certain, which could've also guaranteed their place in the round of 16. However, the shock defeat has thrown the group open.
As things stand, Belgium are third in the group with three points. It's also worth noting that they face the 2018 World Cup runners-up in their final group fixture in what's a must-win match for them now.
Belgium's golden generation have come up short each time. Now, in possibly their last chance at winning a trophy, they are on the brink of losing out in the first stage itself.
