By Akinwale Kasali
The Atlas Lion of Morocco ended their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar bowing to the superior firing power of Croatia in their place match at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
As expected, both sides were gunning for the Bronze Medal having failed to secure a place in the finals losing to Argentina and France, 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.
As early as the fifth minute, Josko Gvardiol headed-in a powerful shot past Moroccan goalkeeper, Yassine Bono, to give the Croatians the lead.
Interestingly, the lead lasted for only two minutes a set piece cross from Hakim Ziyech found defender Achraf Sari who equalized from close range to give the North Africans the desired equalizer.
It, however, became a cagey affair as both teams became cautious but Bono within the sticks for Morocco denied Luka Modric from giving the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup runners up the lead by stopping a shot from him and a rebound.
With less than two minutes to the end of the first half, Mislav Orsic gave the Croats the lead with a curling strike that Bono was unable to stop.
On resumption for the second half, the Moroccans didn’t rest on their oars in getting the equalizer but Dominik Livakovic in the Croatia goal denied Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal on different occasions.
Though the Moroccans had a penalty shoot at the closing stages of the encounter, it was waved away by the Qatari referee.
A last gasp chance was headed off the bar by the Sevilla Football Club of Spain forward, En-Nesyri, to the disappointment of the players.
With the victory of the Croatians they have secured their second Bronze Medal in the FIFA World Cup. They got their first at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France which was the Croatians debut.
The Croatians defeated the Netherlands in the Third Place Match with goals from the legendary Davor Suker and Pronsinescki.
This could however be the last match for the Croatians mercurial midfielder, Luka Modric for the National team. Through his future with the National side is not yet certain.
The history set by the Moroccans will linger on for a long time till another African country achieve this remarkable feat of getting to the semi finals of the FIFA World Cup.
