The first official confrontation between the two teams

A strong Croatian test for the "Atlas Lions"

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The Moroccan national team will start its campaign in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, facing Croatia at two in the afternoon today, at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha, in the sixth group competition.

It will be the first official confrontation between Morocco and Croatia, and the second in the history of their confrontation after the first in the Hassan II International Tournament in 1998, in preparation for the French World Cup, which was finished by Brazilians in Europe in third place.

Morocco is playing the match with full ranks, except for the absence of Zakaria Abu Khallal (Toulouse) and Elias Shaer (Queens Park Rangers, England) due to injury.

And Moroccan national team coach Walid Regragui stressed the need to focus on today's match, "because it is the most important, it is our first in the World Cup, and we must be at the top of our focus in order to achieve a good result that enhances our chances in order to pass the first round."

"We will play in a complex and difficult group," he added.

We have a good team, morale is high, our players are good, and we hope to achieve something.”

The team doctor, Abdul Razzaq Hefti, confirmed that Abu Khallal will be ready to play the second match, while a decision will be taken regarding Shaer later, and Salim Amlah (Belgian Standard Liege) recovered from a minor injury.

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic warned his players not to underestimate the competitors, stressing that "there is no easy opponent, an easy group, this is the world championship, I trust my team, our goal is to qualify for the group."

"We must forget the past, and not fall into the trap of thinking about what happened four years ago," he added.

Croatia is counting on its leader, Modric, the best player in the world in 2018, who will compete in the last world wedding in his professional career, along with other veterans, Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and Tottenham winger Ivan Perisic, and the latter two will face their former colleague in the Italian club, Ashraf Hakimi.

To view an electronic supplement .. the World Cup teams

Zyach return

The world arose and did not sit in Morocco after he was excluded from the “Atlas Lions” squad, due to his estrangement with the former Bosnian coach Wahid Halilodjic.

After great public pressure, the English star of Chelsea, Hakim Ziyech (29 years), returned with the persuasion of the new coach, Walid Al-Rakraki, and he will be one of his prominent weapons in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Al-Rakraki conducted many dialogues with Hakim, who retired from international football due to his disagreement with the Bosnian coach.

He added, "I did not promise him anything, except that I told him that I count on him, and this is a fact. I want him to be at his best."

Rekragui stressed that the "Blues" star deserves to be present in the World Cup in Qatar, due to his positive energy.

"Hakim Ziyech returned to the Moroccan national team because he deserves it. The player has positive energy. He knows me how to work and I know him more and know his way of thinking. When you see how he plays, you say to yourself that it is difficult not to be in the World Cup."

And he added, "Ziyash has a strong left man and works well with the team, and I hope he will add to the national team."

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