The 2022 World Cup bronze medal is on the line as Croatia face Morocco at the Khalifa International Stadium, for a third-placed playoff on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
To Win Match
Croatia 13/10 | Draw 23/10 | Morocco 2/1
Incredibly, Croatia have made it to the 2022 semi-finals as they did in 2018 – without winning a knockout game in normal time, and they are not complete novices in bronze medal matches, having beaten the Netherlands 2-1 in the 1998 third-placed playoff during their inaugural World Cup campaign.
But the third-placed playoff has never been decided on spot kicks, and Croatia will have to hold their own against a Morocco fanbase that will no doubt be banging their drums to the maximum for one last appearance in Qatar.
This is undoubtedly a farewell rodeo for many of their ageing stars. Important players such as Ivan Perisic, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida, Marcelo Brozovic, and Andrej Kramaric are all over 30 years old and could be playing in their final World Cup.
For 37-year-old superstar Luka Modric, who is considered one of the greatest midfielders to ever live, it is almost surely a final dance in the sport’s biggest stage. Croatia are the slight favourite in this third-place match, but Morocco are thought very likely to give their European foes a challenge.
Moroccan fans have flooded the Qatar stadiums to support their Atlas Lions in numbers the further they pushed into the World Cup knockout stages.
Granted, nobody gave them a chance, but credit to Walid Regragui and his men for keeping their heads firmly focused on themselves and for making it this far.
Morocco are expected to give Croatia a tough encounter, having already taken down fellow European giants Spain and Portugal. And had it not been for a lack of killer instinct in the final third, Morocco could have cemented themselves into even greater footballing folklore by becoming the first team from the continent to make it all the way to the final.
They do, however, have a host of injuries for head coach Regragui to work around with captain Romain Saiss, midfielder Nayif Aguerd, and full-back Noussair Mazraoui all included in the semi-final with France. backfired horribly, as Aguerd was withdrawn at the last minute before kickoff, Saiss was yanked after 21 minutes, and Mazraoui came off at halftime. All three will struggle to prove fit for the third-place game.
This has been an unforgettable tournament for Morocco, and Saturday will see them make further history by going furthest than any African team has ever gone in the World Cup.
Verdict: Morocco (2/1)
They may be considered as the underdogs by many, but Morocco’s current crop of players will return to their homeland as national heroes and could yet be wearing bronze medals around their necks when they land at the airport. I have to hand them the win in this exciting encounter.
