Morocco Football Team Tactics, key players and expert predictions - World Cup 2018

Morocco Football Team Tactics, key players and expert predictions - World Cup 2018

The Atlas Lions are roaring again. Twenty years after a heartbreaking elimination from the group stage at France ’98, the first African team to reach the last 16 are back at the World Cup. Morocco, the only African team to qualify for Russia without conceding a goal, have built their game on solid defence and hard work. The experience of Karim El Ahmadi, M’barek Boussoufa and Juventus’s Mehdi Benatia fits well with the intelligence of Hakim Ziyech and the strength of Nordin Amrabat. Hervé Renard is in charge but the advice coming from one of his assistants, Patrice Beaumelle, is vital. The former Coventry City midfielder Mustapha Hadji is also key in the setup, sharing his experiences and acting as a role model for this generation. The team’s main weakness used to be on the left but Real Madrid’s Achraf Hakimi has filled the gap admirably since September.

How they qualified Winners African Group C (round three) ahead of Ivory Coast Preferred system 4-5-1 Star player Hakim Ziyech (Ajax) One to watch Sofiane Boufal (Southampton) Manager Hervé Renard Odds 250-1