One foot in the World Cup ‘26 knockout stage, but Morocco still has issues to fix

The Atlas Lions secured a 1-0 win over Scotland on matchday two of Group C at the 2026 World Cup on Friday, dominating the game but failing to turn their control into more goals.

Ismael Saibari, who scored the fastest goal of this year’s World Cup so far after just 71 seconds, helped Morocco secure three points and improve their position in the group stage, although several chances were missed that could have made the win more comfortable.

Morocco got into Scotland’s box several times and created chances but sometimes rushed shots or didn’t make the right pass at the end.

This raises the need to fix a couple of issues before the knockout stage, where any mistakes could cost the Atlas Lions dearly.

That’s especially true if Morocco finish first or second, since either route leads to a Group F opponent, likely the Netherlands, Japan, or Sweden.

One of Morocco’s clearest chances fell to Brahim Diaz, who held onto the ball inside the box and kept dribbling instead of passing to a teammate. That moment could have led to another goal and given Morocco a more comfortable lead.

There were other moments where Diaz, who was the top scorer at AFCON 2025, held onto possession for too long instead of releasing the ball.

Also, as the game was in its closing minutes, Scotland began to win more duels and push more players into Morocco’s box, putting the defense under pressure.

In the post-match press conference, Morocco head coach Mohammed Ouahbi praised the team’s performance despite missed chances.

He stressed that the most important objective in a World Cup match is securing the result.