Morocco stunned Belgium with late goals from Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal in a World Cup that has been full of surprises.
Thibaut Courtois of Belgium was at fault for the first goal, allowing Sabiri’s inswinging free kick to beat him at his near post with 17 minutes remaining.
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However, the entire Belgium team paid the price for a sluggish performance, with Morocco capping a magnificent second-half display in stoppage time when Aboukhlal fired Hakim Ziyech’s cutback into the roof of the net.
Thousands of Moroccan fans, who had created a raucous atmosphere from the start, erupted in wild celebrations in the stands of Al Thumama Stadium.
Morocco now has four points more than Belgium in Group F, with Croatia and Canada meeting later on Sunday.
Early on, it appeared that there would be few surprises. After surviving Canada’s high-tempo and helter-skelter approach – their first opponents in Group F – Belgium’s first task this time was to break down Morocco’s massed defense.
They did it within the first five minutes, when Thorgan Hazard sent Michy Batshuayi clear, but he was denied by Munir Mohamedi, a late replacement in Morocco’s goal after Bono fell ill during the warm-up.
That appeared to be the beginning of some sustained Belgium pressure, but while they continued to dominate possession, clear-cut chances were few and far between.
Roared on by their raucous fans, who were bouncing all over Al Thumama Stadium, Morocco comfortably kept them at bay and began to grow into the game themselves.
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They thought they had taken the lead just before halftime when Ziyech’s free-kick eluded Courtois, but VAR determined Romain Saiss was offside and interfering with play after running across the Belgium goalkeeper’s line of sight.
After the break, Roberto Martinez’s side did not improve, only managing shots from distance from the ineffective Eden Hazard and substitute Dries Mertens.
