Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in a third-place World Cup play-off on Saturday, leaving Qatar on a high after the European side failed to reach a second straight final.
Mislav Orsic’s late first-half strike was enough to settle the dispute after two goals in the opening nine minutes set the tone for a pulsating encounter, with Ahraf Dari canceling out Josko Guardiol’s opener for Croatia.
The bronze medal may have served as little more than consolation after both sides suffered semi-final disappointments, but Croatia and Morocco looked eager to make amends after losing to Argentina and France respectively.
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Moroccan fans turned out in huge numbers to support their team in Qatar and Saturday was no different as they taunted the Croatian players when in possession, their boos echoing through the packed Khalifa International Stadium.
However, this did not deter Croatia, who started the match on foot and took the lead in the seventh minute with a cleverly crafted finish. A cross that flew into the box found Ivan Perisic who expertly headed the ball into the mix-up, where a masked Guardiola dived bravely for a header to silence the Moroccan contingent, albeit briefly.
Two minutes later, Morocco responded at the other end with a standard of their own when a cross came off Lovro Majer’s head and into the box, where an unmarked Darry headed home.
Achraf Dari
Buoyed by the equaliser, Morocco began to find gaps in the Croatian defence, with their movement and passing helping to create several chances. But the African side – the first from their continent to reach a World Cup semi-final – lacked a killer instinct in front of goal.
Croatia duly punished them in the 42nd minute when an interception in the final third found Orsic, whose curling shot from a tight angle went beautifully past the outstretched arm of Jasin Bunu before going off the post.
The second half was not as fast-paced or tense as the first, as exhaustion from a long tournament seemed to have caught up with both teams playing their seventh match in Qatar.
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Croatia also felt heavy when Guardiol appeared to be tripped in the box by Sofian Amrabat – now playing in defense with injured centre-backs – but the referee refused to award a penalty.
Youssef En-Nessiri went close when he headed home in stoppage time, but despite Morocco’s best efforts to find an equaliser, Croatia held on for victory and bronze, matching the feat of their 1998 heroes.
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