Facing a Seleção nevertheless considered one of the favorites of the tournament, Mohamed Ouahbi’s men showed a great personality from the start. Masters of the ball, the Moroccans imposed their rhythm thanks to a well-controlled possession game and rapid circulation which long put the Brazilian block in difficulty.
The Atlas Lions quickly found themselves in several dangerous situations. Neil El Aynaoui saw his attempt diverted at the last minute by an opposing defender, while Azzedine Ounahi narrowly missed the top corner with a powerful strike. Brahim Diaz also appeared threatening, but the Brazilian defense managed to repel the danger.
In midfield, Ayyoub Bouaddi delivered a very high level performance. The young Moroccan midfielder shone in the midfield with his technical accuracy, his quality of recovery and his ability to direct the game, setting the tone for an enterprising and disciplined Moroccan team.
By pushing, Morocco ended up being rewarded. In the 21st minute, Ismaël Saibari showed all his talent by scoring a superb lob, finished with composure after a perfectly executed offensive sequence. A true jewel which rewarded Moroccan domination and made the thousands of Moroccan supporters present in the stands explode with joy.
Brazil, until then discreet offensively, however knew how to take advantage of one of its rare opportunities to come back to score. In the 32nd minute, Vinicius Junior showed his technical quality to put the two teams back on level terms and allow the Seleção to return to the locker room with a parity score.
The second half was more balanced. Carlo Ancelotti made several adjustments to allow his team to regain control of the ball, while Mohamed Ouahbi reacted by strengthening his midfield with the entries of Chemsdine Talbi and Samir El Mourabet in order to preserve the defensive intensity of the Atlas Lions.
Despite several clear situations on both sides and an intensity that never wavered until the final whistle, neither selection managed to make the difference. The score remained frozen at 1-1, a result which allows Morocco and Brazil to each take a point in this group C, whose other meeting of the first day pits Scotland against Haiti.
With this high-level performance, marked by the jewel of Ismaël Saibari and the high-class performance of Ayyoub Bouaddi in the midfield, the Atlas Lions send a strong message upon their entry into the competition. They will return to Scotland on June 19 for their second outing in this group stage, with the ambition of reaching a new level in their global adventure.
