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Morocco hails rookie coach

Gerald Imray of AP

Walid Regragui stood in the middle of a team huddle as his players reached out and patted him vigorously on the head. Then they threw their coach in the air, almost as if they had already won the World Cup.

Regragui has been an international coach for only three months but still guided Morocco to the last 16 of the World Cup for only the second time in their history with a 2-1 win over Canada yesterday. They clinched first place in Group F for Morocco, ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia and semifinalists Belgium.

Regragui’s squad has now collected more victories at a single World Cup than any other Morocco team. No one thought that was likely when the Moroccan federation took a gamble on the 47-year-old Regragui in August by giving him his first job in charge of a national team. The payoff has been historic.

‘‘About 50 or 60 years of Moroccan history. We’ve done it in a few weeks,’’ Regragui said.

Morocco’s two wins in Qatar, a huge surprise over superstar Kevin de Bruyne and No 2-ranked Belgium and then the victory over Canada, is as many as the country had won in all their previous World Cup appearances put together. Morocco also

The ball reached Romelu Lukaku right in front of goal with seconds remaining. Score, and he’d send Belgium into the round of 16 of the World Cup.

Somehow, Lukaku – Belgium’s record goal scorer recently back from injury – missed.

Belgium and their ageing generation of players were eliminated yesterday after a 0-0 draw with Croatia, who advanced as the second-place team in Group F behind Morocco.

Minutes after the game, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez announced he’d be leaving his role after more than six years – a decision he said he had reached before the World Cup started.

‘‘We could have won this game by three goals and we’d be walking away feeling very different,’’ Martinez said. ‘‘I thought [Lukaku] moved very well,

drew their opener against Croatia to advance unbeaten.

‘‘We trust in him,’’ Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi said of Regragui. ‘‘He’s done an amazing job with not much time.’’

The Moroccans’ only previous trip got in great situations, and what was missing was the finish.

‘‘It was the difference between hitting the post and going in, and

past the group stage at a World Cup had come in 1986, when they also won their group, but won only one match.

Goals by Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri delivered the victory over Canada and ensured this team also went through. hitting the post and going out.’’

Belgium are facing the breakup of their talented but underachieving squad after failing to live up to their status as the second-ranked team and one of the tournament favourites.

What has long been called Belgium’s ‘‘Golden Generation’’ – now featuring six players with more than 100 appearances – is set to split with a World Cup semifinal appearance in 2018 as their peak.

The Red Devils, who have faced reports of infighting and divisions between players in Qatar, scored only one goal in three games and saved their best performance until their final match. It came too late.

Nayef Aguerd’s own-goal just before halftime made it 2-1 and lifted Canada enough for them to put pressure on Morocco in search of an equalising goal for most of the second half. The Canadians came agonisingly close when a header from captain Atiba Hutchinson, who came on as a second-half substitute, bounced down off the crossbar and onto the goal-line.

Replays showed part of the ball had crossed the line but not all of it.

‘‘Two inches. Two inches form getting our first result,’’ Canada coach John Herdman said. ‘‘This isn’t Canada walking away with our heads down. We can keep our heads up.’’

But even when his team’s total control suddenly disappeared, Regragui was happy with the fighting spirit. ‘‘I loved the second half because that’s the spirit we were looking for,’’ he said. ‘‘First half, extraordinary. Second half, we fought.’’

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2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-12-03T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282054806056794

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