Appearances: 5
Best result: Last 16, 1986
Manager: Herve Renard
Star player: Mehdi Benatia
One of the biggest stories surrounding Morocco during this World Cup will most likely not involve them progressing to the knockout stages. It seems highly unlikely they will prevent Spain and Portugal from occupying the top two spots in Group B.
Morocco are fighting the World Cup on another stage as they contend with the might of the United States for the right to host the 2026 World Cup.
Continuing that David v Goliath theme, the players will be out to do their nation proud on the field in the country’s first trip to the finals in 20 years.
Victory over the Ivory Coast in a play-off ensured Morocco’s qualification for Russia, with a squad made up largely of foreign-born players, rooting out talent to don the red shirt in France, the Netherlands and Spain.
Morocco came to global attention when they stunned England, Poland and Portugal to win their group in 1986, and they have also caused a few upsets since.
Herve Renard has no real stars at his disposal but has put together a competent team built around captain Mehdi Benatia, the well-travelled defender who was born in France and plays in Italy for Juventus.
Another of the Moroccan ‘foreign’ legion — Spanish-born Munir Mohamedi — should start in goals as he kept six straight clean sheets in the final round of qualifying.
Aside from Juve, Benatia has also played for Roma and Bayern Munich and his vast experience of elite European football will be vital to the team in the heart of defence. Either side of him with be two wing-backs to keep an eye on for the future, with Real Madrid’s 19-year-old Achraf Hakimi on the right and Lille’s 20-year-old Hamza Mendyl on the left.
UAE fans will know the name of the man orchestrating the Morocco midfield. Al Jazira’s Mbark Boussoufa has established himself as the key in midfield and he has experience of conditions in Russia having played for Anzhi Makhachkala and Lokomotiv Moscow.
Khalid Boutaib might have some lonely moments as a lone striker up front as the defenders deal with the attacking prowess of Spain and Portugal, and Renard has another option to provide the goals as 24-year-old Ayoub el-Kaabi bagged nine goals and the African Nations Championship earlier this year. They will need to grab any opportunity that comes their way.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Mounir Al Kajoui, Yassine Bounou, Ahmad Reda Tagnaouti
Defenders: Mehdi Benatia, Romain Saiss, Manuel Da Costa, Nabil Dirar, Achraf Hakimi, Hamza Mendyl
Midfielders: Mbark Boussoufa, Karim Al Ahmadi. Youssef Ait Bennasser, Sofyan Amrabat, Younes Belhanda, Faycal Fajr, Amine Harit
Forwards: Khalid Boutaib, Aziz Bouhaddouz, Ayoub El Kaabi, Nordin Amrabat, Mehdi Carcela, Hakim Ziyech, Yousuf En-Nesyri.
