Joseph Isokpehi Reporting
Another upset was recorded on Sunday afternoon at the ongoing FIFA world cup in Qatar, as Morocco ranked number 22 in the world shocked cup favorites and number 2 ranked country Belgium with a  2-0 win inside the Al Thumama Stadium, in a group F encounter.
It was Morocco’s first win in 24 years since they beat the national team of Scotland when France hosted the 16th Edition of the FIFA world cup in 1998.
The African side had their first goal scored by Hakim Ziyech ruled out for offside by VAR in the 45th of the first stanza as both sides went into the break with no goal to tell the story.
The coach Walid Regragui’s side on resumption of the second half continued their attacking style of football until they were rewarded with a goal in the 73rd minute when substitute Abdulhamid Sabiri who plays for Sampdoria in the Italian serie A culled in a beautiful free kick from the left side of the pitch close to the Red Devil’s eighteen-yard box beating helpless Coutois for the first goal of the match.
The 2018 world cup semifinalists, came out of their shells, and not even the introduction of Romelu Lukaku could give them the needed equalizer, as another substitute
who plays club football in France with Toulouse, Aboukhlal Zakaria put the game beyond Belgium in added time(92min) for the second goal of the match.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco who were the first African side to reach the second round of the FIFA world cup in Mexico in 1986, have now won three and drawn six of their last twelve World cup group stage after 18 world cup matches with fifteen of them against European oppositions.
With the 4-1 win of Croatia over Canada in the other group game on Sunday, Morocco now stand in second place with four points in the group table behind Croatia who have superior goals deference but has four points too, while Belgium will remain third with three points and Canada rooted bottom with no point.
The race for the two slots for the second round now lies on Croatia, Morocco, and  Belgium with the last round of matches to determine who scale through.
While Croatia will need a draw against Belgium, to reach the last 16, Morocco will also need a draw against Canada to qualify for the second round with five points just as  Belgium will need an outright win against Croatia to get to the second round with six points and it not impossible, but for the sloppy and not too impressive performance by the Red Devils who manage to escape the scare by Canada in their first game, Croatia look likely to qualify ahead of the Roberto Martinez side. And for Canada whose party has ended in Qatar after two defeats doesn’t look good enough to stop the Moroccans from reaching the round of 16.
Canada become the second country to be eliminated from the ongoing FIFA world cup in Qatar.
