Croatia's midfielder #10 Luka Modric (second left) and his teammates celebrate scoring their team's second goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup third place play-off football match between Croatia and Morocco at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on December 17, 2022. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)
Croatia held off Morocco to win 2-1 in the third-place match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in front of 44,137 spectators at the Khalifa International Stadium yesterday.
Both coaches, Zlatko Dalic and Walid Regragui, had deemed the game a final, and the thrilling tie had all the characteristics of a final as both countries fielded their strongest 11.
Josko Gvardiol put Croatia ahead with a header seven minutes into the match, but Achraf Dari made it 1-1 just two minutes later. Morocco and Croatia had met earlier in Qatar, playing out a dull goalless draw, but Mislav Orsic sealed the win just before half-time with a brilliant curler into the top corner.
This is Croatia’s second third-place finish at the World Cup, after France 1998. The Balkan nation lost in the final four years ago to France.
On the other hand, Morocco’s fourth-place finish is the best by an African and Arab nation at the World Cup.
Croatia’s Dejan Lovren celebrates with teammates. REUTERS
“It was a difficult, great match. I want to extend my congratulations to Morocco; they put up a great fight until the last minute, despite the fatigue,” Dalic said.
“It’s the end of a cycle for us, the end of a journey. Tonight’s match and the win is the moment of the tournament for us,” he added.
The match started on a balanced note, but Croatia took the lead early on from a well-worked free kick. A delightful ball was sent into the box for Ivan Perisic to glance on, and Gvardiol was on hand to power a lovely header past an outstretched Yassine Bounou.
Almost immediately, Morocco tied the game from a set piece of their own as Croatia struggled to clear. The ball fell kindly for Dari, who made no mistake with his header from close range; Dominik Livakovic had no chance.
The early rush of adrenaline simmered down as Bounou held firmly from Andrej Kramaric’s header.
The attack swung back and forth, but Croatia created better chances as Modric tested Bounou from just outside the box. The keeper almost made a mess of a routine save but quickly pushed away at the second attempt with Marko Livaja lurking.
The North Africans had a glorious chance to take the lead just before the half-hour mark. Achraf Hakimi, after a lovely run down the right, could have done better with his cross, which was hit behind Youssef En-Nesyri. A better ball could have yielded a different result for the Atlas Lions.
Players, coaching staff and family members celebrate after Croatia finished in third place after defeating Morocco, yesterday. REUTERS
Morocco upped the pressure, and a patient move ended with Sofiane Boufal in the box, but the former Southampton man was thwarted by some last-ditch defending.
En-Nesyri could have added to his World Cup tally. The forward’s glancing header from a corner evaded all the red shirts in the box before bouncing out for a goal kick.
Hakim Ziyech showed glimpses of his magic, turning his marker inside out, but his shot dragged wide.
For all of Morocco’s possession, it was Croatia who took the lead just before half-time. The Atlas Lions failed to clear their lines as Bilal El Khannouss lost the ball, and it fell to Marko Livaja, who laid it on for Orsic. The 29-year-old attacker sent a delightful curler into the top corner, off the post with Bono stretching.
Croatia had the first chance in the second half as Orsic’s shot from outside the box came off a defender but still caused Bono to scramble as it rolled out for a corner.
Croatia again threatened, but Morocco scrambled to clear their lines. Nikola Vlasic came on for Kramaric, who was subbed off with an apparent injury.
Morocco soon suffered an injury setback of their own as Jawad El Yamiq, who has been a revelation in Qatar, also came off due to an apparent hamstring injury.
As the game got on, substitute Vlasic flashed a shot just wide. Both sides had back-to-back claims for penalties which were rightfully waved off by the Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim.
En-Nesyri should have pulled the North Africans level, but the Sevilla man struck straight at Livakovic from a promising position.
Mateo Kovacic created space in the box, showing some silky skills to beat Hakimi, but the midfielder scuffed his effort wide with Bono at his mercy.
En-Nesyri had a chance to take the game to extra time in the dying minutes, but he headed wide as Croatia held on for third place.
“Sometimes you are disappointed in the result, but they (the players) gave everything to the very end and gave a positive image of our football,” Morocco coach Regragui said.
“We played some of the biggest footballing powerhouses. We are now one of the top four teams in the world, and if you had told me that before the tournament, I would have accepted that,” he added.
Third place winners at FIFA World Cup
1930 United States
1934 Germany
1938 Brazil
1950 Sweden
1954 Austria
1958 France
1962 Chile
1966 Portugal
1970 West Germany
1974 Poland
1978 Brazil
1982 Poland
1986 France
1990 Italy
1994 Sweden
1998 Croatia
2002 Turkey
2006 Germany
2010 Germany
2014 Netherlands
2018 Belgium
2022 Croatia
