Morocco’s national team delivered a commanding performance on Saturday, defeating Ukraine 9-2 in the second round of the Kings League World Championship in Italy. The victory secured Morocco’s place in the “Last Chance” stage of the tournament.
The match started explosively for Morocco, with Nader Al-Louah scoring in the first minute during a one-on-one duel—a unique feature of the Kings League format. Al-Louah added a second goal in the 20th minute, before Ukraine’s Denis Oliinyk pulled one back. Al-Louah completed his hat trick shortly after to restore Morocco’s two-goal cushion.
In the second half, veteran player Zakaria Hadraf netted Morocco’s fourth goal, though Andrii Tsupa scored Ukraine’s second to narrow the gap. Achraf Saoud responded for Morocco with a fifth goal in the 37th minute. Morocco sealed the victory with two additional double-value goals, bringing the final score to 9-2.
With this win, Morocco advances to face Japan in the “Last Chance” stage. Japan lost earlier in the day to Argentina, 2-1. Host nation Italy and Saudi Arabia were eliminated from the tournament after each suffered two losses.
Morocco’s lineup featured several notable former players, including Mbark Boussoufa, Zakaria Hadraf, and Issam Raki. The team’s resilience was on full display after recovering from a 4-1 defeat to Colombia in the first round.
The Kings League, known for its unique format, features seven-player teams consisting of one goalkeeper and six field players. Matches are played in two 20-minute halves, with unlimited substitutions allowed. Games begin with a one-on-one duel lasting one minute, after which the remaining players gradually join until both teams are complete.
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