In a friendly match against Brazil, Morocco was able to clinch a 2-1 win to mark their first victory ever against the five-time world champions. The two goals scored by Sofiane Boufal and Abdelhamid Sabiri in Tangier’s sold-out Ibn Batouta stadium absolutely sent the 65,000 spectators into a frenzy.
It’s also important to note that Walid Regragui, the Moroccan team’s coach said that when his players entered the field, it had only been a few hours since they had broken their Ramadan fast and finished the Tarawih prayer. In a tweet, he stated that, “we beat Brazil, in the middle of Ramadan, after the Tarawih prayer, It’s crazy!”
The Brazilian team was more aggressive and controlled possession while the Atlas Lions were always dangerous in the counter-attacks. Throughout the match, Brazilian players complained to the referee about the local defenders’ tackles. The World Cup semifinalists, however, did not hold back and in their first home game following a spectacular Qatar 2022 campaign, defeated soccer giant Brazil with a commanding victory.
Yassine Bounou, the talented goalkeeper for Morocco, put in a strong effort, but in the 22nd minute, while attempting to pass the ball to his teammate, he made a hilarious error that nearly allowed Brazil to score. As for Brazil’s goal, it was scored in the 67th minute by Casemiro, Manchester United defender, who also served as the team captain during the friendly match.