Great Britain
This article was added by the user . TheWorldNews is not responsible for the content of the platform.

Belgium vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup 2022 result and final score after Zakaria Aboukhlal hits late second

Martinez gives Lukaku update as 'below par' Belgium prepare for Morocco

Belgium play Morocco in their second Group F fixture at World Cup 2022 in Qatar knowing that a win will take them into the knockout rounds. The Red Devils were second best during their opening match against a spirited Canada and only won 1-0 thanks to poor finishing from their opponents and a lovely strike from forward Michy Batshuayi.

Morocco meanwhile got their World Cup campaign started with a goalless draw against Croatia. In truth it was a game of low quality with the European side failing to capitalise on their possession whilst Morocco held their own defensively but offered little at the other end of the pitch.

Roberto Martinez was critical of his team after the Canada win but said that tournament football is all about peaking at the correct time so he will be hoping his Belgium side get the job done against Morocco this afternoon and secure progression to the last 16.

Belgium should have enough quality to in midfield to dominate and control the match but if Morocco can keep them at bay too – and possibly collect a point or three – they will be well set to reach the round of 16 themselves will a final group game against Canada to come.

Follow all the action with our live blog below:

1669560755

GOAL! Belgium 0-2 Morocco (Aboukhlal, 90+2’)⚽️

90+2 mins: Morocco have won it!

1669560707

Belgium 0-1 Morocco

90 mins: There’s only going to be five minutes added on which isn’t much compared to some games at these finals.

Morocco win a corner, play it short and try to keep it near the flag as long as possible. They’re into game management mode now.

1669560496

Belgium 0-1 Morocco

87 mins: Morocco have avoided defeat in their last four matches when scoring the opening goal in the World Cup. That run dates back to June 1970 when they lost 1-2 against Germany.

They’ve got five at the back now and don’t look likely to concede in all honesty. It’ll be interesting to see how many stoppage time minutes there are.

1669560267

Belgium 0-1 Morocco

84 mins: Wide! The corner ball is curled into the middle of the penalty area and gets won in the air by Jan Vertonghen. He meets it with a decent header but fires his effort wide of the right hand post.

Belgium have not lost in the World Cup group stages since 1994. Will they find an equaliser before the end of the game?

1669560103

Belgium 0-1 Morocco

81 mins: Axel Witsel is caught by Hakim Ziyech in the middle of the pitch and Belgium are awarded a free kick. Romelu Lukaku is going to get a run out as his team are in desperate need of a goal.

Lukaku replaces Meunier. Tielemans floats the free kick over to the right wing where a cross into the box is blocked behind for a corner.

1669559962

Belgium 0-1 Morocco

78 mins: The response from Roberto Martinez sees Brighton’s Leandro Trossard and Charles De Ketelaere come on for Thorgan Hazard and Michy Batshuayi.

That probably means that Lukaku isn’t fit yet. They need him firing before the last game in the group as the Red Devils have been poor so far.

1669559611

GOAL! Belgium 0-1 Morocco (Sabiri, 73’)⚽️

73 mins: Deadlock broken!

Morocco win a free kick over on the left wing and it’s the substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri who takes this one. They pack the box close to the near post as Sabiri whips a shot into the middle.

Romain Saiss is the closest to the ball but he lets it run and Thibaut Courtois is caught out by not expecting a shot. The ball skips by him and finishes in the back of the net!

(Getty Images)

1669559444

Belgium 0-0 Morocco

69 mins: Double change for Morocco as Yahya Attiat-Allah and Abdelhamid Sabiri come on for Achraf Hakimi and Selim Amallah.

Michy Batshuayi has a shot deflected wide but it wasn’t going to trouble the goal anyway.

1669559185

Belgium 0-0 Morocco

66 mins: Save! Quality from Mertens who drifts into space in the middle of the final third and collects a pass. He shifts the ball away from a challenge, evades another then smokes a shot towards goal that Munir keeps out with a low stop to his right.

1669559024

Belgium 0-0 Morocco

63 mins: Thorgan Hazard flicks the ball over the top to Michy Batshuayi who brings it down before laying it off to Kevin De Bruyne and sprinting into the box.

De Bruyne tries to slip Dries Mertens in on the left but his pass gets intercepted before the flag goes up for offside.