BELGIUM can secure knock-out qualification with a win over Morocco – but they could have found themselves a goal down.
Hakim Ziyech’s long-range free-kick flew past Thibaut Courtois in the Belgian net.
But the referee ruled it out for offside following a VAR decision.
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- 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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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.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
62, De Bruyne attempts to squeeze a pass through to Mertens but the flag was already raised against Batshuayi who just can’t get into the game.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
61, Morocco work the ball well, but the chance falls to the wrong man in Mazzraoui, who strikes a shot at a snail’s pace, bobbling wide of the goal.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
59, Roberto Martinez decides to switch things up.
Onana is off for Tielemans.
Skipper Eden Hazard is withdrawn for Mertens.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
57, Mazraoui floats a ball in behind to Nesyri who can’t take it into his stride and Courtois can clean up.
Morocco look the more dangerous at the moment.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
56, Boufal comes close!
The winger drops his shoulder and cuts inside Meunier before curling an effort narrowly wide of the far post.
That’s woken up the crowd inside here.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
55, Eden Hazard flicks the ball on to his brother who can’t return the favour, playing the return pass out of play.
When Belgium move the ball quickly they look so much more dangerous though.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
53, Hazard and De Bruyne combine in the midfield, but can’t carve out a real opportunity.
Every time either gets the ball they are surrounded by white shirts.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
51, Eden Hazard drops his shoulder and fires an effort towards the near post. Munir is forced to tip it behind for a corner kick.
Onana meets it, taking it away from Vertonghen in a better position. The frustration grows amongst the Belgian players and supporters.
Belgium 0-0 Morocco
49, Ziyech is caught in the middle of the park with the fouls continuing into the second half.
Ziyech then shifts the ball inside, but doesn’t quite get hold of it. Simple enough stop for Courtois.
SECOND HALF – Belgium 0-0 Morocco
Morocco get us back underway for the second half.
Andrew Dillon has more information on Morocco’s early keeper switch:
IT WOULD appear that Yassine Bounou – known as Bono – had an issue with his eyes and signalled to his bench that he needed to come off.
Andrew Dillon
Credit: Getty Andrew Dillon at Al Thumama Stadium
SunSport’s Andrew Dillon has this half-time report from the stands, explaining that last-minute keeper switch.
A WEIRD half – which started with Morrocco suddenly having to switch keepers just moments before kick off.
Number one Youssine Bounou was taken ill after singing the national anthem and replaced by Munir El Kajoui. It won’t count as a substitution because the game had not kicked off.
And after a drab half in which Belgium failed to impose themselves in any way against their unfancied opponents it was their keeper Thibaut Courtois who had the last word.
The 6ft 6in stopper allowed an inswinging free kick from Hakim Ziyech to squirm under his body and give the Moroccans what they thought was a shock lead. But the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside following a VAR check.
Belgium look rubbish though. Even worse than against Canada in the first game when they got a lucky win.
Andrew Dillon
Half-time stats
Belgium have enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but have struggled to do an awful lot with it.
Batshuayi cuts an isolated figure up front, whilst De Bruyne looks frustrated with the rest of his team.
HALF-TIME – Belgium 0-0 Morocco
The whistle disallowing Morocco’s goal is shortly followed by the half-time whistle as the players trudge off the field.
Ziyech is still arguing with the referees, but the new video review graphics looked pretty conclusive.
It’s been far from a classic, with scrappy challenges all over the pitch preventing either side from building any kind of momentum.
Let’s hope for better in the second half!
Credit: Getty GOAL DISALLOWED – Belgium 0-0 Morocco
The goal is chalked off for offside. It was Saiss who looked to be covering the Courtois’ eye-line.
Belgium 0-1 Morocco
The referee is off to take a look at the screen. It looks like an offside check, which you think wouldn’t need to be checked.
GOAL! – Belgium 0-1 Morocco
It’s gone in!
Ziyech sends in a free-kick which just goes through everyone.
But VAR are taking a look…
Credit: Reuters
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
