Belgium 0 Morocco 2 – World Cup 2022 LIVE RESULT: Aboukhlal sinks Belgians with late close range strike
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BELGIUM squandered the opportunity to secure last 16 qualification courtesy of two well-struck Moroccan goals.
Abdelhamid Sabiri's free-kick from a ridiculous angle somehow squeezed past Thibaut Courtois.
And Zakaria Aboukhlal's late strike put the Belgians out of their misery.
- RESULT: Belgium 0-2 Morocco
- Live stream:
- TV channel: BBC One
- Belgium XI: Courtois, Alderweireld, Castagne, Vertonghen, Meunier, Witsel, Onana, T. Hazard, De Bruyne, E. Hazard, Batshuayi
- Morocco XI: Munir, Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui, Amallah, Amrabat, Ounahi, Boufal, Ziyech, En Nesyri
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Martinez reacts
Belgium boss Roberto Martinez has his say on his side's defeat.
It’s a difficult result. We couldn’t get our game going. We need to be together and prepare for the next game. This is the way we’ve been defending the set plays for six years, so it’s not because of that. We had good moments, but we couldn’t get clear good chances, only a couple of half opportunities. We lost our composure, and we couldn’t get in the final third.
Roberto Martinezz, Belgium managerGroup F standings
Morocco go top of the table!
Croatia play Canada in less than an hour's time.
- Morocco (4pts)
- Belgium (3pts
- Croatia (1pt)
- Canada (0pts)
Andrew Dillon at Al Thumama Stadium
SunSport's Andrew Dillon has this match-report from Doha.
THIBAUT COURTOIS’ four day spell as a World Cup hero ended on a crushing day for Belgium.
The 6ft 5in keeper’s second half clanger set his team on the way to a humiliating defeat that will seriously rock the ambitions of a talented but ageing team.
Courtois actually made two blunders on a day when Roberto Martinez’s squad failed to turn up and were undone by their own sloppines and the passion of minnows Morocco.
He got away with the first one when Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech’s free kick was ruled out by VAR - but he clearly didn’t heed the warning.
In the second half he got mugged again by a similar strike that piles pressure onto boss Martinez as he struggles to get his team into the knockout stages.
Belgium were unconvincing in their spawny 1-0 win over Canada that sent them into this match as Group F leaders.
It took lightning reactions from Courtois to see them through.
But they looked even more wobbly here against a Moroccan side with a dash of current or ex-Premier League players in Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech, former Wolves defender Romain Saiss and ex Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal.
Just one shot on target in the first half and a feeble one at that when right back Thomas Meunier finished off a three man move involving Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne - experienced, quality footballers who really should be doing better.
Morocco barely threatened to score themselves but against the number two ranked team in the international rankings that is no surprise.
It was up to Belgium to take the game to the north Africans looking for the win that would see them into the last 16 with a game to spare even if they aren’t at their best.
They failed to do so and for a few moments at the end of the first half feared a calamity when the lowly opposition who have never been beyond the group stage, took a surprise lead.
Wideman Ziyech was fouled three yards out from the left hand corner of the Belgian box.
He took the free kick himself and whipped a curling inbound shot over the wall.
It cleared every head only to then squirm under the body of the lumbering Courtois and over the line.
All his good work against the Canadians last Wednesday looked undone until Mexican ref Cesar Ramos was directed to his pitchside screen and noted a narrow offside against ex-Molineux man Saiss.
There was little improvement in the second half and Boufal came close to scoring with a scorching shot across the face of goal that whistled past Courtois’ left hand post.
Hazard was replaced on the hour mark as part of a double substitution that saw Leicester’s Youri Tielemens come on to inject some life into Belgium.
But it only got worse as Courtois made his second blunder of the match at another set-piece.
With 17 minutes left, midfielder Abdelhamed Sabiri took a chance with a free kick from a similar position to that in the first half.
Instead of crossing he went for it by whipping a shot towards the near post which Courtois had left unguarded and was unable to react in time to keep the ball out of his net.
In injury time Morocco swept forward and Ziyech’s clever cut back found Zakaria Abouhlal who rifled in number two to spark pandemonium on the African’s bench.
Andrew DillonFULL-TIME - Belgium 0-2 Morocco
Morocco deliver another upset in Qatar!
Extraordinary scenes in the stadium as the players embrace and celebrate an astonishing win.
They matched Belgium all the way before taking the game by the scruff of it's neck, and sinking the second highest ranked team in the world.
The Atlas Lions go top of Group F!
GOAL! - Belgium 0-2 Morocco
90+2, Aboukhlal makes it two and Morocco are in dreamland!
A simple long ball is flicked on to Ziyech who beats Alderweireld with a lovely piece of skill before cutting it back to Aboukhlal.
The subsitute kept his cool, side-footing the ball into the roof of the net, sending the Moroccan fans into chaos.
They have done it!
Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Belgium 0-1 Morocco
90+1, There will be five added minutes here.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
90, Saiss then Attiat-Allal get it clear and Hamdallah brings Morocco up the pitch, digging out a shot, which bounces off Courtois and out for a corner.
Exactly where they want to be at this stage of the game.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
87, De Bruyne plays it through the lines and Trossard stands one up to Lukaku who is beaten in the air.
Mertens then sends a desperate ball back into the area and Morocco deal with it once again. Fists pumping the air everywhere you look.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
86, De Bruyne sends another cross into Lukaku but Morocco's defence stands firm.
Witsel then concedes the foul and the Atlas Lions can get their shape back.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
83, Mazraoui ignites the crowd after shepherding the ball out of play.
Morocco are on the cusp of a very special result.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
82, Lukaku wins a corner and Vertonghen gets ahead of his man, guiding a header narrowly wide of the post.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
81, It's Lukaku time.
The ex-Chelsea man is on for Meunier to help rescue a point in Doha.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
78, El Yamiq is on for Ounahi.
Roberto Martinez is fuming on the sidelines. His side have never really got going, and have been punished.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
77, De bruyne whips in an excellent ball but no one in red can get on the end of it!
The Moroccan fans inside here are bouncing.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
76, Batshuayi, who has struggled to make an impact today, is off for De Ketelaere.
Trossard is on for Thorgan hazard.
GOAL! - Belgium 0-1 Morocco
73, Sabiri breaks the deadlock and Morocco take the lead in Doha!
Sabiri with the exact same free-kick as Ziyech from the opposite flank.
He swings it in, and once again it goes through everyone, including Courtois who was left flapping at thin air.
I'm sure he was unsighted by Saiss, but this time the defender had stayed onside.
At last a goal, and what a finish we might have here.
Credit: Reuters Credit: Getty Belgium 0-0 Morocco
72, Time for some Moroccan reinforcements.
Aboukhlal adf Hamdallaha are on.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
71, De Bruyne picks up a good position and whips a ball in towards Batshuayi who would have had a tap-in but for a last-stitch intervention by Aguerd.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
69, Ounahi is urged to shoot and goes for the spectacular.
Back goes the head, and high goes the ball.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
78, Batshuayi wanders offside again, before kicking the ball away in frustration.
Not been his night.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
66, Batshuayi effort takes a deflection and lands in the arms of Munir.
We'll see some changes for Morocco now.
Sbiri and Attiat-Aallah are on.
Hakimi, who was a doubt for this one, and Amallah make way.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
63, Chances aplenty!
Boufal is alert at the back post and volleys it back across the six-yard box where Vertonghen had positioned himself well.
De Bruyne then gets up the pitch and shapes to shoot but is quickly closed down.
Mertens then dances past the challenges and fires a good effort on target, forcing Munir to parry wide.