Qatar World Cup 2022 Day 8: Morocco beat Belgium 2-0, wins for Costa RIca, Croatia

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Full-time: Canada 1-4 Croatia 

After a shaky start, Croatia outclassed Canada for a comfortable 4-1 win.

Andrej Kramaric scored his second goal to solidify Croatia’s lead 70 minutes into the match.

Lovro Majer sealed Croatia’s victory three minutes into second-half injury time.

Odds stacked against Africa teams at World Cup: Ghana coach 

Ghana coach Otto Addo has said that the chances of an African team reaching the latter stages of the World Cup will remain limited until the continent is awarded more places at the tournament.

No African side has ever gone beyond the quarter-finals at a World Cup.

Addo said Africa, with 54 teams, deserved more slots.

"There was never a point where everybody had an equal chance at the start. Never in FIFA history," Addo said in Doha.

"It's very, very difficult if you have five slots to get far. If you have 12 or 14 slots – I don't know how many Europe get – the probability that a team will get further is much, much higher."

More on this story here.

Half-time: Canada 1-2 Croatia

Marko Livaja takes a confident-looking Croatia into the lead with a goal close to the end of the first half.

Canada 1-1 Croatia 

Andrej Kramaric equalises for Croatia in the 36th minute.

Canada 1-0 Croatia 

An early goal from Alphonso Davies puts underdogs Canada ahead at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Full-time: Belgium 0-2 Morocco 

Morocco have done it! They've beaten Belgium, ranked the second-best team in the world, 2-0.

Belgium 0-2 Morocco 

Zakaria Aboukhlal doubles Morocco’s lead with less than three minutes of the match remaining.

Belgium 0-1 Morocco 

Abdelhamid Sabiri scores for Morocco 73 minutes into the match – like the disallowed goal from the first half, it's from a set piece.

Fourteen of Morocco's 26-man squad – including star players Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi – were born outside the country.

Learn how diaspora players have found a home in their country of origin's national team:

Half-time: Belgium 0-0 Morocco 

A goal from Morocco has been ruled offside, so it’s goalless at the break.

The Atlas Lions are putting in a brave performance, but they've been unable to conjure up enough attacking precision to put themselves ahead.

While we wait for Belgium v Morocco to kick off, take a look at how Moroccans reacted to their team’s 0-0 draw on Wednesday with Croatia:

Full-time: Costa Rica 1-0 Japan

Japan’s second-half substitutes injected new life into the match and pressed for a winning goal – until defender Keysher Fuller netted a shock goal for Costa Rica 81 minutes into the match.

The match ends 1-0 at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, and Group E is thrown into disarray.

Costa Rica 1-0 Japan

Keysher Fuller scores a shock goal for Costa Rica 81 minutes into the match, undoing Japan’s domination in the second half.

Half-time: Costa Rica 0-0 Japan

Japan were favourites going into this match - especially after their 2-1 victory over Germany and Costa Rica’s 7-0 defeat to Spain on Wednesday.

But their lacklustre play means they have been unable to break the deadlock, and it remains 0-0 at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium.

Morocco's Belgian-born players prepare for 'special' World Cup match

Morocco coach Walid Regragui said his team would try and draw on the "special emotions" of their Belgian-born players for Sunday's match.

Morocco have four players in their squad who were born in Belgium: Selim Amallah, Bilal El Khannouss, Anass Zaroury, and Ilias Chair.

"They have a special emotion and a positive energy and you have to try and draw from that," Regragui said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday.

"It's a special match for them and we all know that."

Fourteen of Morocco's 26-man squad were born outside the country, including star players Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, who were born in the Netherlands and Spain.

Iran coach tells Klinsmann to quit FIFA role over Iran rebuke

Iran's coach Carlos Queiroz has lambasted German football icon Jurgen Klinsmann for criticising his team's World Cup conduct, calling his remarks a "disgrace to football" and urging him to resign from his role with world governing body FIFA.

In comments as an analyst with the BBC, Klinsmann, a member of a special FIFA Technical Study Group, accused Iran of systematic gamesmanship during their win over Wales on Friday and said Queiroz's record with other national teams made him the right match for Iran.

Queiroz said no one could hurt the integrity of his team.

"You question my character with a typical prejudiced judgment of superiority," he said in a message to Klinsmann on social media, in remarks shared by the Iran team.

"We just want to follow with full attention what will be the decision of FIFA regarding your position... Obviously, we expect you to resign before you visit our camp." 

(Reuters)

More on this story here.