Time is up for many ofBelgium's stars after their loss. There is a time and a place for it.
There were many shocks at the World Cup, including the 2-0 win over Belgium.
The news and features of the World Cup in 2022.
In first-half injury time, the North Africans thought they had taken the lead, but the VAR ruled against them. The second-half strikes from Abdelhamid and Zakaria made sure the points went to the other side of the world.
The possibility of an early exit for Belgium is now a possibility.
Player ratings, best and worst performers, highlights and notable moments, post- match quotes, and key statistics are included.
This match was so bad for Belgium that boss Roberto Martinez had to change something at the half-time break. The tactical system was used against Canada. The 4-3-1-2 with a hybrid back 3 or 4 was abandoned by Manchester United for a more logical 4-2-3-1 with Hazard moving from the left to the centre.
In the first half, there wasn't much movement or ball progression in the middle of the field. It wasn't good enough even after a shot from Hazard and another from Mertens in the second half.
After an hour, there were more changes with Youri Tielemans and Mertens on. The captain was disappointing once more, but the Onana substitution was hard to comprehend. He didn't have much more of an impact in central. This isn't his World Cup yet.
There are permutations for all the groups.
This has not been Belgium's World Cup, and there is a very real case for worry. The team doesn't offer much because of Romelu's absence. You know it's not your day when Thibaut Courtois makes a mistake and you can't score. De Bruyne made a joke that Belgium could not win the World Cup because they were too old. He wasn't right. They will not win the World Cup because they have not been good enough. They can still make it if they beat Croatia on Thursday. You wouldn't put your house on it at the moment.
The anthem of the Kingdom of Morocco was different. All teams combined to make one of the best renditions so far. As soon as one of their players approached the box, the crowd at the Al Thumama Stadium was so loud that it made them want to jump up and down.
| GP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Croatia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +3 | 4 |
| 2 - Morocco | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 4 |
| 3 - Belgium | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3 |
| 4 - Canada | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 0 |
| Top two countries qualify for round of 16 |
The stadium exploded twice, the first time after the Sabiri and the second time after the Aboukhal goals.
The players fed off the energy and support they received. They don't have a lot of other things. Their 4-3-3 is limited in terms of cohesiveness from the middle of the field. They still rely on his creativity and delivery. He did it with a ball for Hakimi just before the break, and on the goal that was ruled out for offside against Saiss, and the wonderful switch for Sofiane Boufal.
It was Sabiri who took over to score the first goal, and he did it on his own. They will be happy with this famous win, one of the greatest in the country's history and which puts them in a great position to qualify for the round of 16.
It's been a big blow for Belgium and for Martinez to be without him. The team is more effective with him in it. He warmed up for 30 minutes before coming on for the last 10 minutes of the game. Michy Batshuayi replaced him while he was out. He scored the winning goal against Canada, but he doesn't offer enough when his team has the ball.
Batshuayi is trying to run in behind and not doing well. We weren't able to see him on Sunday. His performance was poor even though he had an early chance that he missed and he made a mess of a decent ball into the box after the hour mark. He doesn't show for the ball, he doesn't get involved in the build up play, and the centre-backs were able to stop the threat. It's good news for Belgium, but it might be too late.
Courtois 3, Vertonghen 4, Castagne 4, Onana 4, Witsel 3, T. Hazard 4, E. Hazard 4, Batshuayi 3.
Mertens, Tielemans, De Ketelaere, and Trossard were on the subs.
Aguerd, Saiss, Ounahi, Amrabat and Amallah are from Morocco.
The subs were Attiyat-Allah, El-Yamiq, Hamdallah, and Aboukhal.
It's the best: HakimZiyech.
It was a great performance. He kept trying, he kept provoking with the ball, and he kept looking for a way to impact the game. He was given an assist for the second goal after he thought he had scored.
The worst is Thibaut Courtois.
He saved a penalty in the game against Canada. He lost his team at least a point. The North Africans were able to win because of his terrible mistake on the goal. He was saved by the VAR before the break as well. It was a bad day.
Morocco 🇲🇦 stun World Number 2 Belgium 🇧🇪 2-0 in a historic victory for the Atlas Lions. MASSIVE!
This is Morocco's first win since the 1998 World Cup and the second victory for an African team in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/ssQXYgFyvY
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