Cruel group has Morocco, Iran grasping at straws

Reigning European champion Portugal and 2010 World Cup winner Spain are the other two teams in Group B and are overwhelming favourites to progress to the knockout stages. 

Appearing at consecutive World Cups for the first time, the Iranians are the top team from Asia and have benefited from a period of stability under Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz, who took them to Brazil four years ago.

“Iran have been drawn in the hardest group in the World Cup and we needed more preparation,” said Queiroz, who will end his seven-year stint as manager after the tournament. 

On the pitch, Iran is without defensive midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, who is suspended for the first match. His work-rate and intelligence will be sorely missed as ‘Team Melli’ try and plot a path to a second victory at its fifth appearance at a World Cup. Doubts also loom over the form of first-choice goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

On the other hand, forwards Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Saman Ghoddos, Karim Ansarifard, Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi are in good form, and Iran will need every bit of their attacking verve if they are to trouble a well-marshalled Moroccan defence. 

Like Iran, the ‘Atlas Lions’ is playing in their fifth World Cup. Led by Juventus center back Mehdi Benatia, Morocco came through qualifying without conceding a goal and have four wins and a draw in their last five matches.

The team benefits from having a number of players in Europe’s top leagues and are coached by Frenchman Herve Renard, who has instilled a great deal of tactical discipline into the side. 

Veteran midfielders Mbark Boussoufa and Karim El Ahmadi shield the back four, while Renard’s biggest offensive weapon is Dutch-born playmaker Hakim Ziyech.

Ziyech is well complemented by French-born midfielder Younes Belhanda, and both were on target in Morocco’s 3-1 win over Estonia in its final warm-up match earlier this month. 

The north African nation’s most obvious weakness is in goal, as first-choice keeper Munir Mohamedi has barely featured for second-division Spanish side Numancia all season. 

Renard’s team will find it a tall order to escape the group, but can take comfort from the fact that Morocco was the first African country to ever get past the opening round at a World Cup. 

When it achieved that feat in 1986, it did it in style, topping a group that included England, Poland and Portugal.