The World Cup has been full of surprises, but the latest one was by Morocco who beat Belgium thanks to two late goals.
The first goal was scored because Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois allowed a free-kick to get past him.
The whole Belgium side paid the price for a ponderous performance, with Morocco capping a magnificent second-half display with a goal in injury time.
There was a loud atmosphere in the stands of Al Thumama Stadium when that happened.
The result means that Morocco move above Belgium to the top of Group F, with Croatia and Canada playing later in the day.
Early on, few surprises had appeared. After surviving a high-tempo and helter-skelter approach from Canada, Belgium's first task was to break down the massed defence of Morocco.
Michy Batshuayi was denied by a late replacement in the Morocco goal after Bono was taken ill in the warm-up.
While they continued to dominate possession, more clear-cut chances were few and far between.
The noise of their fans, who were bouncing all around the stadium in great numbers, was too much for them to handle.
They thought they had taken the lead just before half-time when Ziyech's free-kick evaded Courtois, but the video assistant referee (VAR) showed Romain Saiss was in an area where he shouldn't have been and ruled him out for the rest of
The side didn't improve after the break and only managed shots from distance.
Morocco, meanwhile, were becoming as lively as their supporters in the stands, and went close to taking the lead whenSofiane Boufal cut in from the left, but his shot bounced wide.
They got their reward when Courtois fell at a set-piece again. There was no reprieve to save him.
The closest Belgium came to an equalizing goal was when Jan Vertonghen headed wide, but that was as close as they would get.
The route to the last 16 is still open despite the stuttering win over Canada.
Four years ago, the group of players that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup were nearing the end of their careers.
Romelu Lukaku only fit in for a fleeting appearance in the closing moments, with Michy Batshuayi useless in attack.
Even Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne was unable to add any inspiration in the middle of the park and, at the back, veteran pair Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld were left petrified by the pace of the attack.
They looked nothing like the side that was ranked number two in the world and were made to look like second best by Morocco.
Get the latest results and goal notifications for any team at the Fifa World Cup by downloading the BBC Sport app: Apple - Android - Amazon
You can get a daily dose of the World Cup on the radio.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
