Morocco vs Canada: a tie for generational glory, possible outcomes and Regragui's strategy

Morocco won in a historic brace against European giants Belgium in a tactical exposition, where the Moroccan national team outshone an aging Belgian squad, granting them a big leap toward qualification.

The Moroccan national team has not been able to go to the World Cup’s 16 rounds since 1986, with a historic Moroccan squad that is the first African team to reach the round in the history of the competition.

Morocco’s tactical vision

Morocco’s National Team Head Coach Walid Regragui lines up his squad in a 4-1-2-3 in possession and a narrow 4-1-4-1 on defensive sequences.

Speaking to Hespress EN, former Moroccan player Abderahman Lehwasli said that “Walid Regragui knew how to deal with each opponent he was placed within the unlucky draw, securing valuable points against fierce opponents.”

Regragui prefers to rely on a single pivot in possession to free up two options in midfield to cut opposition lines, Sofyan Amrabat being the manager’s preferred option.

Central defensive midfielders who are good both on and off the ball are increasingly rare to find in modern football.

Many managers prefer to stick to a double pivot as it offers stability and the ability to have two different profiles in the Central defensive roles.

Amrabat delivers quality in terms of work rate and offers physicality in the midfield, though his role leaves him with the responsibility of distributing the ball towards teammates who can carry the ball.

Amrabat finds it difficult to fulfill his role if other midfielders fail to counter the press.

Regragui had to find a way to adapt to the latent injury of Amine Harit among other players, who would offer the ability to contain the opposition press and carry the ball further up the pitch, where the strengths of the Moroccan side lie.

Morocco’s wingers remain a key asset to the team’s offensive activity, where the likes of Hakim Ziyech or Sofiane Boufal grant world-class ball distribution and vision.

The Moroccan national team players offer world-class quality, according to Lehwasli, who noted that “Hakim Ziyech, who reads the game very well, can unlock defenses with key passes and agile dribbling.”

Lehwasli added: “Achraf Hakimi can offer a lot more offensively in comparison with what we saw in the last two games as he was instructed to defend.”

“Youssef En-Nesyri suffered the same handicap as he had to fulfill a more defensive role, anchoring him more in the midfield,” said the former Atlas Lions footballer, assuring that “these players can create surprises in the next game.”

The fullbacks hug the touchlines in possession offering width, but more importantly, creates space for the interiors to receive the ball in areas where they can create and advance the play.

Walid Regragi’s managerial vision is to cut the game into segments depending on the opponent’s characteristics, where we saw an evident change in tactics and dynamics from the first game against Croatia and Belgium, and more importantly during key phases of the game.

Regragui’s answers to Belgium

Morocco faced 2018 World Cup Semi-Finalists Belgium in their second group stage game, winning 2-0 and humbling Belgium Head Coach Roberto Martinez.

Belgium’s game saw a conservative first half from Morocco, as the Red Devils were coming off a win against Canada, the Belgian side were, as expected, intent on possessing the ball and conducting the first minutes of the game.

The Moroccan squad remained solid in defense, relying on a tightly organized block and narrowing spaces in the middle of the pitch. This approach can leave spaces in the wings for marauding players in attempts of crosses, though Belgium failed to secure effective attempts from those areas as they lacked the cutting edge.

Upon the start of the second half, Morocco looked to take the game into their own hands, as the possession shifted in Morocco’s favor.

Morocco looked more dangerous and unlocked Belgium’s defense on several occasions, on the 73rd minute, super-sub Sabiri opens the score through a tight angle attempt, granting Morocco the lead that was accredited to Romain Saiss after the game.

Credit where it’s due, he played a key role in influencing Belgian goalkeeper Courtois away from following the ball.

Morocco vs Canada

The Canadian side were electric against the Belgians, where they took the game despite the latter’s one goal (22 to nine shot attempts), contested for possession of the ball (46%) and had more key passes than Belgium’s side led by the likes of Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne (18 to 8).

The North American side is sure to rely on its young and driven talents, with a 3-5-2, pace and directness as their asset, Moroccans will have to contain a very different system in comparison with their last two games.

“Canada will be very dangerous, as they have nothing to lose, they will only come to prove themselves to the world,” said Lehwasli, adding “we can expect them to use their speed and organized press.”

Although the Canada national team failed to secure a chance to go to the round of 16, they are expected to give their best performance as they would prefer to leave on a positive note after their historic World Cup participation, and many players would not miss the chance to give their best performances on such a stage where the whole world is watching.

Lehwasli anticipates that “if we score early in the game, then we’ll be sure to score more,” adding that the Moroccan national team has enough incentive to win the fight of spirits against the North American side.

The Canadian side is a project that is only starting, only time will tell its progress, which leaped in quality in the last few years with former Canada Women’s National Team Head Coach John Herdman at the helm.

The disqualification is but a setback for the ongoing project, where, the 2026 World Cup promises to be a more worthy endeavor to take on for the Canadians, as they still have time to prepare this young side and gain more experience to take on difficult contests.

Morocco’s fate in Qatar’s Musical Chairs

With Group F’s last two ties scheduled at 4:00 pm Moroccan time (7:00 pm local time), Morocco, Belgium and Croatia have their qualification to be played for till the final whistle, here are the probable scenarios and their outcomes:

Morocco will secure it’s qualification if they win or tie against Canada, though the Atlas lions would favor a win to increase their chances of leading their group and sealing their place against Group E’s second place.

In this narrative, Morocco will only secure first position with three more points in their last game and for Belgium to win or draw against fierce opponent Croatia.

In the case of Morocco losing against Canada, Belgium will have the opportunity to secure a seat for the next round, disqualifying Morocco in the process. To do that, they will have to secure a win against Croatia.