World Cup Qatar 2022: The Book of Highlights (Part 3)

Image Credit: History of Soccer

By: Anthony Tazbaz

Best (Unexpected) Performers in the Knockout Stage

Winners: Morocco & Croatia

Group Foes, Together for Deep Runs

When Croatia and Morocco opened Group F’s batch of games and battled to a goalless draw, very few felt they would see both nations play against each other again. However, such a reality materialized, with Croatia and Morocco making deep runs to the final four and facing off in a third-place play-off.

Viewed by many as bottom feeders of Group F prior to the tournament, Morocco stormed to the top of Group F after winning their final two games against Belgium (2-0) and Canada (2-1), respectively. However, the spectacle did not end there. Competing in the round of 16 at the World Cup for the first time since 1986—and second time ever—the Moroccans defeated their neighbours from the opposite side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Despite facing Spanish domination with respect to ball possession (77% vs 23%) and passes/pass percentage (305/70% vs 1,019/77%), the Moroccans held their ground by handing Spain a brutal loss on a perfect clean sheet—120+ minutes without conceding a goal and shutting them out on penalties. As a result, Morocco became only the fourth African nation to qualify for the World Cup quarterfinals, joining Cameroon (Italy, 1990), Senegal (Japan & South Korea, 2002), and Ghana (South Africa, 2010).   

Then, The Atlas Lions produced another miracle, this time defeating another European powerhouse: Portugal. Despite the Portuguese dominating in possession (73% vs 27%), Morocco displayed a better attacking performance, generating three shots on goal and nine total shots. While they managed to obtain as many shots on target at Portugal, striker Youssef En-Nesyri leapt like a salmon as he beat both defender Rúben Dias and goalkeeper Diogo Costa in an aerial dual and score in stunning fashion. Afterwards, Morocco fended off Portuguese pressure and cruised to the semifinals while only conceding one goal (penalties included)—an own goal against Canada. This win also made Morocco become the first African nation to attend a World Cup semi-final, an incredible moment for CAF and for the growth of football across the globe.

Similarly, Croatia faced tons of adversity. After going down 1-0 only 70 seconds into their second group match versus Canada, their impressive run of four unanswered goals put them in the driver’s seat towards knockout stage qualification. Then, Croatia preserved a stalemate against a lacklustre Belgian offence, officially booking their ticket for the knockout stages. Obtaining one point from their final match and a total of five, Croatia had to settle for second place. Luckily for the Croatians, Japan’s miraculous performances gave Croatia a bit of hope, as they did not need to face Spain, who defeated the Balkan nation in the European Championship in 2021.

Then, Croatia lived up to their reputation of being resilient, persistent, and seemingly unrelenting. Performing like ironman racers, Croatian captain Luka Modrić and the remainder of the squad coached by Zlatko Dalić competed non-stop for 240+ minutes against Japan and tournament favourites Brazil. Despite going down 1-0 on both occasions, the Croatians clawed back with equalizers by forwards Ivan Perišić and Bruno Petković, respectively. While the pair of forwards erased deficits, it was the backline led by veteran Dejan Lovren and young gun Joško Gvardiol and goalkeeper Dominik Livaković who each made a significant impact on their team’s success and defensive prowess. While each penalty taker across both games scored their kick, it was Livaković’s four saves out of eight shots that provided Croatia a return to the World Cup semifinals. 

Although both Morocco and Croatia significantly contributed to the 2022 World Cup mystique, all great things almost always come to an end. Croatia first went down after a complete 3-0 domination by the Argentinians and an incredible performance by their star player and captain Lionel Messi. The following day, Morocco joined Croatia with a 2-0 defeat of their own at the hands of the French.

However, their losses allowed for supporters to rejoice a Group F rematch in an entertaining third-place play-off. The match included a multitude of key chances and great goals coming from both ends. However, the Moroccans failed to secure Africa’s first World Cup medal as they fell to the Croatians. As a result, Croatia now boasts three World Cup medals—Bronze in France, 1998, Silver in Russia, 2018 and now Bronze in Qatar, 2022—in their 28-year existence as a football federation.