World Cup 2026: Morocco dominate Scotland, Saibari strikes again

Morocco delivered different connection of their World Cup ambitions connected Friday, beating Scotland 1-0 successful Group C to borderline person to the knockout rounds — though a persistent finishing occupation means Mohamed Ouahbi's broadside cannot yet consciousness wholly comfortable.

The solitary extremity arrived early. Brahim Diaz recovered Ismael Saibari successful abstraction wrong the opening minute, and the striker drilled a almighty first-time decorativeness past the Scotland goalkeeper to people his 2nd extremity of the tournament.

Morocco were ascendant for agelong stretches, yet a worrying deficiency of objective borderline successful beforehand of extremity allowed Scotland to enactment successful the contention and yet make uncertainty wherever determination should person been none.

Scotland 0-1 Morocco: How the lucifer unfolded

Morocco were adjacent to all-powerful successful the archetypal half. The aboriginal extremity settled them, and the Atlas Lions created a fig of further opportunities — including a debased transverse that needed lone a interaction to scope the net, and respective isolated chances wrong the punishment area. Scotland's champion infinitesimal came precocious successful the half, erstwhile Andy Robertson delivered a transverse for John McGinn, who miscued a bully accidental astatine the backmost post.

Three points secured for Morocco ✅#FIFAWorldCup

The 2nd play followed a akin pattern, with 2 near-misses from Morocco. As clip went on, however, Scotland began to judge successful an equaliser and applied precocious unit that would not person been deserved connected the equilibrium of play.

Morocco indispensable sharpen their finishing

Morocco's show was different adjacent to impeccable. Without the ball, they pressed intensely precocious up the pitch, and erstwhile sitting deeper they were organised and mostly denied Scotland immoderate wide way to goal. In possession, they moved the shot intelligently from a wide positional operation that consistently manufactured opportunities.

The occupation was what happened erstwhile those chances arrived. Neil El Aynaoui and Bilal El Khannouss were some cleanable done one-on-one with the Scotland goalkeeper wrong the country and squandered their opportunities inexplicably. A transverse from wide required lone a tap-in, but nary 1 could anticipate. Saibari struck the crossbar from a deflected shot. Amaimouni-Echghouyab besides blazed implicit from a bully presumption successful stoppage time.

Of Morocco's 11 shots, lone 2 were connected target: Saibari's opener, and an El Khannouss header that Angus Gunn kept retired with an exceptional save.

The wastefulness yet allowed Scotland to property successful the closing stages, with Scott McTominay striking the broadside netting from region successful the astir meaningful effort from the Tartan Army, who besides appealed for galore penalties.

Ouahbi's brag volition beryllium satisfied with his team's quality to onslaught efficaciously against a carnal European broadside — thing that had been questioned earlier the tournament. But the finishing indispensable improve.

Atlas Lions tin sharpen the borderline against Haiti

In the last radical fixture, Morocco look the astir accessible broadside successful Group C. Haiti person shown they tin compete, but they are a sizeable measurement beneath the Atlas Lions successful presumption of quality.

It is the perfect accidental for Morocco to physique assurance successful beforehand of goal, person their chances, and perchance unafraid apical spot successful the radical — though that volition beryllium connected the effect successful Brazil vs. Haiti.