



The Atlas Lions played out of their pelts. Fair play to them all. The pure skill of the Spanish players was obvious, but Morocco's scrappy determination nearly saw the upset of the tournament. They may not have won, but they have covered themselves with glory.



That's it from us for the night - thanks for reading, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab



20:57:29 - Hmmmm

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20:56:35 - Spain now top Group B. For a minute there, they may not even have qualified for the next round.



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20:54:51 - Iran have equalised, but that doesn't mean much (at least not for Middle East teams) after the second Spanish goal



20:53:56 - A late break for Morocco but Bouhaddouz can't quite get to it



20:53:05 - Absolute scenes here - it all kicks off in the dying seconds



20:51:34 - GOAL - the goal stands! Spain 2 - Morocco 2



20:49:38 - 90th minute - a quick corner for Spain, and it's flicked into the net - GOAL - but the flag is up, and the goal is ruled out... Hang on, it's going to VAR...



20:48:35 - El Kajoui, Morocco's keeper, booked for timewasting



20:47:17 - Totally agree. Morocco totally deserve that goal.

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20:44:58 - Rodrigo gets on the end of a free kick from Isco, but heads wide



20:43:39 - CHANGE for Spain - David Silva comes off to make way for Rodrigo. And a CHANGE for Morocco - Ziyache comes off and Bouhaddouz comes on



20:42:46 - If Iran score against Portugal in the other Group B match, and this game stays like this, Spain could be going home!



20:41:35 - GOOOAAAAL! Talk about a super-sub! Youssef En Nesri comes out of nowhere, leaps over Ramos, to head in to convert the corner - and it's Spain 1 - Morocco 2



20:39:46 - PENALTY APPEAL - The ball clearly hits Pique's hand - but clearly accidental. Corner for Morocco



20:38:56 - They did both have quiet games.

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20:37:37 - Sergio Ramos shows his frustration at the way the game is going, sending a shot way, way, way up into the stands



20:37:10 - Morocco's Da Costa heads away a decent effort by Spain



20:35:23 - Isco fouls Amrabat. It's a free kick, but it's a long way out. Ziyache curls it in, but it's cleared, and ends up (eventually) with the Moroccan keeper



20:33:24 - CH-CH-CHANGES for Spain. Costa makes way for Aspas, Asensio comes on for Thiago. Will Iniesta make it all the way through the 90 minutes?



20:30:56 - CHANGE for Morocco. Goalscorer Boutaib comes off to great ovation; on comes En Nesri.



20:29:21 - Bloody vuvuzelas. Twenty minutes to go.

[TASS]



20:28:02 - Thiago skies it. Come on, Spain - I thought you were the tournament favourites?



20:26:03 - David Silva plays easily into the Moroccan keeper's hands



20:24:36 - Morocco will have made a lot of fans among any neutrals watching either this game, or their match against Portugal. Playing with real heart.



20:57:46 - Full time, after nearly 98 minutes. It's Spain 2 - Morocco 2.The Atlas Lions played out of their pelts. Fair play to them all. The pure skill of the Spanish players was obvious, but Morocco's scrappy determination nearly saw the upset of the tournament. They may not have won, but they have covered themselves with glory.That's it from us for the night - thanks for reading, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter:20:57:29 - Hmmmm20:56:35 - Spain now top Group B. For a minute there, they may not even have qualified for the next round.20:54:51 - Iran have equalised, but that doesn't mean much (at least not for Middle East teams) after the second Spanish goal20:53:56 - A late break for Morocco but Bouhaddouz can't quite get to it20:53:05 - Absolute scenes here - it all kicks off in the dying seconds20:51:34 - GOAL - the goal stands! Spain 2 - Morocco 220:49:38 - 90th minute - a quick corner for Spain, and it's flicked into the net - GOAL - but the flag is up, and the goal is ruled out... Hang on, it's going to VAR...20:48:35 - El Kajoui, Morocco's keeper, booked for timewasting20:47:17 - Totally agree. Morocco totally deserve that goal.20:44:58 - Rodrigo gets on the end of a free kick from Isco, but heads wide20:43:39 - CHANGE for Spain - David Silva comes off to make way for Rodrigo. And a CHANGE for Morocco - Ziyache comes off and Bouhaddouz comes on20:42:46 - If Iran score against Portugal in the other Group B match, and this game stays like this, Spain could be going home!20:41:35 - GOOOAAAAL! Talk about a super-sub! Youssef En Nesri comes out of nowhere, leaps over Ramos, to head in to convert the corner - and it's Spain 1 - Morocco 220:39:46 - PENALTY APPEAL - The ball clearly hits Pique's hand - but clearly accidental. Corner for Morocco20:38:56 - They did both have quiet games.20:37:37 - Sergio Ramos shows his frustration at the way the game is going, sending a shot way, way, way up into the stands20:37:10 - Morocco's Da Costa heads away a decent effort by Spain20:35:23 - Isco fouls Amrabat. It's a free kick, but it's a long way out. Ziyache curls it in, but it's cleared, and ends up (eventually) with the Moroccan keeper20:33:24 - CH-CH-CHANGES for Spain. Costa makes way for Aspas, Asensio comes on for Thiago. Will Iniesta make it all the way through the 90 minutes?20:30:56 - CHANGE for Morocco. Goalscorer Boutaib comes off to great ovation; on comes En Nesri.20:29:21 - Bloody vuvuzelas. Twenty minutes to go.20:28:02 - Thiago skies it. Come on, Spain - I thought you were the tournament favourites?20:26:03 - David Silva plays easily into the Moroccan keeper's hands20:24:36 - Morocco will have made a lot of fans among any neutrals watching either this game, or their match against Portugal. Playing with real heart.









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20:23:02 - CHANGE for Morocco as Belhanda makes way for Faisel Fajr



20:22:29 - CLOSE! Pique brushes the post



20:20:10 - CLOSE! Saiss makes a last-ditch goal-line clearance and avoids a certain Spanish goal



20:19:09 - Isco's delivery cleared, ends up all the way back at De Gea



20:18:07 - Amrabat is just everywhere at the moment - unfortunately, that includes flailing into Iniesta and giving away a free kick in a vulnerable area. Isco to take the free kick...



20:16:44 - Morocco's Dirar on a blistering run, a little one-two with Amrabat, but it just gets away from him as he closes on the goal



20:13:56 - Six Moroccans on the break - Amrabat *very* unlucky not to score with a long shot



20:12:17 - Careful, Amrabat - tangling with Ramos is the way to get sent off...



20:10:46 - David De Gea under pressure again from Morocco's attack



20:09:10 - And here's Amrabat having taken Ramos' boot off... 20:23:02 - CHANGE for Morocco as Belhanda makes way for Faisel Fajr20:22:29 - CLOSE! Pique brushes the post20:20:10 - CLOSE! Saiss makes a last-ditch goal-line clearance and avoids a certain Spanish goal20:19:09 - Isco's delivery cleared, ends up all the way back at De Gea20:18:07 - Amrabat is just everywhere at the moment - unfortunately, that includes flailing into Iniesta and giving away a free kick in a vulnerable area. Isco to take the free kick...20:16:44 - Morocco's Dirar on a blistering run, a little one-two with Amrabat, but it just gets away from him as he closes on the goal20:13:56 - Six Moroccans on the break - Amrabat *very* unlucky not to score with a long shot20:12:17 - Careful, Amrabat - tangling with Ramos is the way to get sent off...20:10:46 - David De Gea under pressure again from Morocco's attack20:09:10 - And here's Amrabat having taken Ramos' boot off...





20:08:11 - Some pics from the wire photographers from the first half. First off, Boutaib celebrating scoring Morocco's first World Cup goal since 1998 [Getty]





20:06:58 - The second half is underway, and Pique must have borrowed Harry Potter's invisibility cloak to have got away with that handball - as well as the dangerous tackle in the first half





19:50:34 - While we're waiting for the second half, here's what Uri Levy, our football correspondent, said about Morocco ahead of the tournament...



20:08:11 - Some pics from the wire photographers from the first half. First off, Boutaib celebrating scoring Morocco's first World Cup goal since 1998 [Getty]20:06:58 - The second half is underway, and Pique must have borrowed Harry Potter's invisibility cloak to have got away with that handball - as well as the dangerous tackle in the first half19:50:34 - While we're waiting for the second half, here's what Uri Levy, our football correspondent, said about Morocco ahead of the tournament...

The majority of Morocco's players are Europeans

with Moroccan roots [Getty]



Nickname: The Atlas Lions

Coach: Herve Renard

Star: Hakim Ziyech

Arriving to Russia as: Underdogs aiming to shock the world

Expectations: Round of 16.

The Moroccans have had a fantastic footballing year. Wydad Casablanca won the African Champions League, while more and more European-born Moroccans have signed for clubs in the domestic league. Meanwhile, the 2026 World Cup bid has made headlines worldwide - and the national team has grabbed a World Cup spot after 20 long years, after a campaign in which they didn't concede a single goal.



There's no doubt, that since Herve Renard signed on to lead the national team in 2016, the Atlas Lions have not stopped improving.



The first coach to win the CAF Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries (Zambia and Ivory Coast), Renard is respected throughout the footballing world, and Moroccos's victory against the Ivory Coast in Abidjan will be remembered as one of the best displays of an African side in World Cup qualifications, ever - simply a divine tactical display.



The Moroccans have an extremely talented squad, with the majority of players having come up through European leagues and qualifying for the national team through their heritage rather than birth.



Mehdi Benattia of Juventus, Hakim Ziyech (the Dutch Eredivisie Player of the Year), Amine Harit of Schalke 04 Real Madrid's Achraf Hakimi are just some of the names which decorate the Atlas Lions' teamsheet.



Renard and his players will look to surprise the whole world and qualify from a near-impossible Group B, which also features Spain, Portugal and Iran.



But there is a route to the knock-out stages.



If Iran lose all three group games - to Morocco, Spain and Portugal, finishing bottom of the group - Morocco just needs (somehow) to draw against both Portugal (currently ranked the fourth best team in the world by FIFA) and Spain (10th).



With such a squad and the tremendous support of thousands of the Dima Maghreb fans who have made their way to Russia, anything is possible. In the past few months thousands of signs have festooned Casablanca: "Russia, we are coming." They have arrived.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers: Mounir El Kajoui (Numancia, Spain), Yassine Bounou (Girona, Spain), Ahmad Reda Tagnaouti (Ittihad Tanger).

Defenders: Mehdi Benatia (Juventus, Italy), Romain Saiss (Wolverhampton, England), Manuel Da Costa (Basaksehir, Turkey), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid, Spain), Hamza Mendyl (Lille, France).

Midfielders: M'barek Boussoufa (Al Jazira, UAE), Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord, Holland), Youssef Ait Bennasser (Caen, France), Sofyan Amrabat (Feyenoord, Holland), Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray, Turkey), Faycal Fajr (Getafe, Spain), Amine Harit (Schalke 04, Germany).

Forwards: Khalid Boutaib (Malatyaspor, Turkey), Aziz Bouhaddouz (Saint Pauli, Germany), Ayoub El Kaabi (Renaissance Berkane), Nordin Amrabat (on loan to Leganes, Spain, from Watford, England), Mehdi Carcela (Standard de Liege, Belgium), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax, Holland), Youssef En Nesyri (Malaga, Spain).

Fans show their support ahead of the friendly match against Serbia [Getty]







19:49:48 - Spain have been dominant, and their class is obvious - but Morocco are putting up a heck of a fight.



19:49:38 - Half-time, 1-1.





19:47:53 - Amrabat bounces off the back of Sergio Ramos and hits the deck, but he raises his feet as he goes down and takes Ramos to the ground with him. Lucky to avoid another card there.



19:45:24 - Spain's team is a roll-call of the giants of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Morocco have one guy who Watford didn't mind sending out on loan, and another who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Still, Morocco have been far and away the best Arab team at this tournament.



19:43:36 - Ziyache leans back too far as he makes a shot and sends the ball into the stands above the goal



19:43:01 - Seems to have calmed down a bit, maybe, for now





19:41:07 - Isco sends the free kick to the back post - cleared comfortably.



19:40:21 - Free kick to Spain after Thiago caught by Bousouffa's arm



19:39:13 - Isco floored by another reckless Moroccan challenge.



19:37:16 - Amrabat foils another Spanish attack, but sends it out for a corner on the left-hand side. Sergio Busquets heads the incoming ball way high.



19:35:55 - Collision between the ref and Boutaib sends the Moroccan to the floor. A quick hug later and everyone's up and running again.



19:34:20 - Morocco are throwing everything at this game. Calm down, lads.



19:32:02 - Morocco's Da Costa picks up a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Isco; captain Boussouffa picks up another one for dissent. Morocco have to calm down if they don't want to start losing players. Four currently on yellows



19:29:48 - Amrabat picks up a yellow card for running into Sergio Ramos - it appears accidental, but the Watford man did run into Ramos' ankle with enough force to take the Spaniard's boot off.



19:29:31 - Cheeky.







19:27:29 - The quality of this Spanish midfield is something else. A treat to watch. Morocco's defence is scrappy but effective - for now.



19:25:40 - Even better opportunity for Morocco, as that man Boutaib again opens up the Spanish defence to test David De Gea.



19:25:10 - Great opportunity for Spain wasted as Iniesta takes it himself



19:24:09 - Isco takes the corner, Pique heads straight to the Moroccan keeper.



19:23:50 - Iniesta again putting the ball into the box, cleared for a corner



19:22:17 - Yellow card for El Ahmedi. Morocco showing their indiscipline here.



19:21:18 - When you get four or five Spanish players in the box, there's not going to be any stopping them



19:20:08 - GOAL! Isco slots home after a dominant play from Spain



19:18:32 - A wild shot from Iniesta - one of the all-time greats - spoons it wide



19:17:09 - Morocco are out of this World Cup already, but that goal means the world to Moroccans everywhere.









19:14:42 - GOAL! Boutaib nicks the ball from Ramos and Iniesta and goes on a blistering run - nutmegs David De Gea, "the best goalkeeper in the world". Spain 0 - Morocco 1



19:12:51 - Lots of people think Pique was lucky to avoid a booking with that "tackle" on Boutaib.





















19:11:08 - If their match against Portugal was anything to go by, Morocco won't go down without a fight here. Spain taking them seriously - and deservedly so.



19:08:36 - Two-footed lunge by Pique takes Boutaib's left ankle out. Reckless. Could have been very bad - both for Boutaib, and, if Pique were sent off, for Spain.



19:08:01 - Nordin Amrabat, Watford star, flailing about like he was back at Vicarage Road.



19:05:02 - First chance for Spain comes in the third minute, but is gathered comfortably by El Kajoui.



19:04:15 - Morocco's Da Costa fouls Spain's Costa. Free kick to Spain, and the opening minutes as expected are all Spain.



19:03:05 - And this is who we're looking at. Spain playing in red, Morocco playing in white.





19:01:22 - And we're back - and now in Kaliningrad - for Spain v Morocco. Spain are looking to qualify top of Group B, while Morocco are hoping to cause the first major upset of the tournament.



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