The chances of the winning the World Cup might have gone for Croatia and Morocco, but “immortality” is at stake when the two teams meet in Saturday’s third-place playoff. Croatia forward Andrej Kramarić dispelled the notion it would be a meaningless contest at Khalifa International Stadium.
“I think if you ask this question to Moroccan players, I don’t think they will look that way,” he said at a news conference Thursday. “They’re fighting for their lives because if you win a medal at a World Cup you become an immortal hero in your country. That’s the same thing we are going to do.”
Morocco defied the odds to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals. But the Atlas Lions’ run came to an end with a 2-0 loss to defending champions France on Wednesday. Croatia reached the final in Russia in 2018, but suffered a 3-0 loss to Argentina on Tuesday.
“Eight of us from (the tournament in) Russia understand that feeling of winning a medal at the World Cup and we have a lot of players who haven’t experienced that and would love to do that because it’s something that will stay with you for the rest of their life,” Kramaric said.
Had it not been for a lack of killer instinct in the final third, Morocco - the first-ever African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final - could have cemented themselves into even greater footballing folklore by becoming the first team from the continent to make it all the way to the final.
Walid Regragui’s side certainly gave France a scare or two in Wednesday’s semi-final, but Theo Hernandez’s acrobatic effort and Randal Kolo Muani’s tap-in 44 seconds after coming onto the pitch ended the Atlas Lions’ dreams of Qatar supremacy.
The Africans’ efforts were not helped by the early withdrawals of injured trio Noussair Mazraoui, Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd, but Morocco’s current crop will no doubt return to their homeland as national heroes and could yet be wearing the bronze medals around their necks on the flight back.
Regragui’s side had not conceded to an opposing player in Qatar before Hernandez breached their backline with only five minutes on the clock on Wednesday, but they could still become the first nation since Spain’s triumphant team of 2010 to keep as many as five clean sheets at a single World Cup.
Croatia and Morocco are renewing hostilities just a few weeks on from their goalless draw in Group F, where the Checkered Ones were restricted to just five attempts against Regragui's backline, and a similarly steadfast defensive showing could set the Africans on their way to a groundbreaking World Cup honour.
