World Cup Now: How dangerous can Morocco be in Round of 16?
Morocco defeated Canada on Thursday 2-1 and will now advance to the round of 16 after going 2-1-0 in Group F.
Where does this team go from here? "World Cup Now" discussed Morocco's standing on Thursday.
Sacha Kljestan on Morocco: They win the group unexpectedly, but the note I had wrote down for them before the game was, "Play with the fighting spirit that you've played with for the first two games." And boy did they. They came out really quick and hard against Canada, and in the second half, defended for their lives. They almost got scored on once, but for the most part, made things so difficult for Canada. And I think that's been their recipe so far this tournament, and I think they can keep that going forward. We said, "Nobody wants to see Croatia." I wouldn't want to see Morocco, either. They are tough to beat, tough to break down.
Jimmy Conrad on Morocco: They've got some incredibly talented players. Walid Regragui, the manager of Morocco, came back and took the job. He brought back Hakim Ziyech, who's one of their more talented players. He brought back Mazraoui, who's one of their most talented outside backs. You add those two pieces. They had both been pushed out by the previous coach. You bring them back into the fold. You create this culture of positivity, which is what he's doing, and this is the result. They haven't lost since he took over. They've only given up one goal, which is an own goal.
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