With four points and second in Group F, Morocco qualified for the round of 16 of the Qatar Cup with a draw against Canada, which had already been eliminated. The teams face each other this Thursday (1st), at 12 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Al Thumama stadium, in Doha.

Morocco made their World Cup debut with a goalless draw against Croatia but managed to take the lead by beating Belgium 2-0 in the second round.

Now, the Moroccans are preparing to claim a place in the round of 16 for the second time in history, 36 years after the first classification.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said on Wednesday (30) that the national team wants to make history, and that he is confident with the standings.
Despite the advantage, Regragui highlighted the performance of the Canadian team. “The Canadians also want to make history. For me, they are one of the best teams in the competition,” he told reporters. Therefore, he reaffirmed the attachment of Moroccans to victory.

“We will face a team that wants to win. We are here to win too. To play the draw would be a mistake,” he said.

Canadian coach John Herdman also reaffirmed the importance of the match for the players and the Canadian national team. “We are going to stay committed to our identity and we come into this game with the opportunity to write more history,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Despite an early elimination, Canada made history in Qatar by scoring for the first time at the World Cup. With the goal, the Canadians redeemed the country’s only participation in the Cup, in 1986, when it was eliminated without managing to register a single goal.

Canada lost both group stage matches but scored against Croatia in the second round – the Croats came back to finish with a 4-1 victory.

With no confirmed absences, the Canadiens can go to the farewell game with: St. Claire; Johnston, Steven Victoria, Miller and Adekugbe; Buchanan, Konee Eustaquio, Hoilett, Alphonso Davies and David.

Morocco, for its part, must also have maximum strength. The only change should be the return of goalkeeper Bounou among the 11 starters.
Thus, the Moroccan selection can go on the field with: Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss and Mazraoui; Amrabat, Ounahi and Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri and Boufal. (Folhapress)

Stadium: Al Thumama, in Doha (Qatar)
Time: At 12:00 p.m. (Brasília time) this Thursday (1st)
Arbitrator: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
VAR: Julio Bascuñán (Chile)
Streaming: SportTV, Globoplay and Fifa+

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