SAINT PETERSBURG: On their return to the World Cup after a 20-year absence, Morocco masterminded their own downfall, a failure to exploit an excellent opening half an hour with plenty of pressing and open chances that led to a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat following Aziz Bouhaddouz’s headed own goal in the fifth minute of injury time.
“It is a bitter moment,” reacted Bouhaddouz emotionally. “It happens in football and this time it was my turn. You simply have to deal with it mentally. I wanted to clear the ball, but the ball glanced off my head and into my own net. As I said, it’s a bitter moment and I can’t say too much about it as I still can’t believe it myself.”
Throughout the game the Moroccans enjoyed possession with Al-Jazira midfielder Mbark Boussoufa directing the play. The Atlas Lions overloaded their right flank as they targeted Iran Ehsam Haj Safi. Morroco, attacking in numbers and exposing the Iranian rearguard, were enterprising and aggressive, but didn’t size their chances.
“You thought it’s going to happen with our play and our chances, but it just didn’t,” said Boussoufa. “You could see they were waiting for it, lurking on the counter. A last-minute own goal is an enormous damper, even more so when Morocco tried to play football, but that’s football. It is very painful."
The second half was dire and grim as Iran further frustrated Morocco, whose intensity and physical fitness both dropped considerably. In a match with 36 fouls, Sofyan Amrabat replaced his brother Watford’s Nordin Amrabat after a crash with Hajsafi.
“There were a lot of fouls, but this is part of the game and, of course, we trust the referees and the VAR, but Iran were wasting a lot of time,” explained Boussoufa.
Then, deep into injury time, Bouhaddouz erred, leaving Morocco in agony.
“I couldn’t believe it, because I had never scored an own goal in my career,” said Bouhaddouz. “It the most difficult moment of my career. I can only apologise to all Moroccans around the world for the goal. It can happen to everyone.
“We know we were the better team, but in the end we must win and we didn’t do that.”
Following the final whistle, the Iranians exploded with joy. They last won a World Cup game in 1998 against the US, and their win left Morocco and Bouhaddouz devastated. Earlier Morocco had already been on the losing side as a joint bid from the US, Mexico and Canada landed the hosting rights for the 2026 World Cup.
Renard’s men must now regroup ahead of two daunting Group B games. They will play against reigning European champions Portugal and Spain, who played out a spectacular 3-3 draw on Friday evening in Sochi. The mercurial Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick and will severely test the Moroccan back line on Wednesday in Moscow.
“We have to keep our heads high and be proud of the way played,” said Boussoufa. “It won’t be easy because if you lose the first game you have no more chances to make mistakes. You have to give it your all and see were will finish, but it’s going to be a tough ask.”
Morocco's proud despite own-goal defeat to Iran
Morocco's proud despite own-goal defeat to Iran
- Last-minute own-goal gifts Iran the points in Saint Petersburg.
- Atlas lions now have to face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on Wednesday.
Trump said Iran ‘welcome to compete’ in World Cup, says Infantino
US President Donald Trump has said that Iran is “welcome” to participate at the upcoming World Cup in North America, despite the ongoing Middle East war, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.
The war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has thrown into doubt Iran’s participation at this summer’s men’s football World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
During a meeting to discuss preparations for the competition, “we also spoke about the current situation in Iran,” Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body, wrote on Instagram.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” he wrote.
The comments marked the first time that Infantino, who in December created a FIFA peace prize and awarded it to Trump, has acknowledged the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Trump’s remarks to Infantino are a stark contrast to his comments to Politico last week.
Trump told Politico: “I really don’t care” if Iran play at the World Cup.
FIFA’s president has grown close to Trump since he returned to the White House, even attending his inauguration.
Asylum claims
Iran’s federation football chief on Tuesday cast doubt on his team’s participation in the sporting extravaganza, following the defection of several women footballers from the Islamic republic during the Asian Cup in Australia.
“If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Mehdi Taj asked on Iranian state television.
While the event is spread out across three countries, Iran are scheduled to play all three group games in the United States, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Should Iran withdraw from the sport’s quadrennial showpiece, it would be the first time a country did that since France and India pulled out of the 1950 finals in Brazil.
On Tuesday, at the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, some players from Iran’s team claimed asylum after they came under fire from state television for not singing the country’s national anthem before one match.
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials, the Australian government announced.
At least two more team members applied to stay later in the day, according to local media.
However, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Wednesday that one of them had subsequently changed her mind.
Burke said in parliament on Wednesday that he had since been advised that one of the group “had spoken to some of the team mates that left and changed their mind.”
“She had been advised by her team mates and encouraged to contact the Iranian embassy,” he said.
“As a result of that, it meant the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was.”
The remaining players have been moved from a safe house to another location, he said.
