BOSTON, United States — Morocco strengthened their chances of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Scotland 1-0 in a Group C encounter on Friday, leaving the Scots facing a difficult path to qualification.
Okay News reports that Ismael Saibari scored the decisive goal just 70 seconds into the match, producing a brilliant finish from a tight angle to hand Morocco an early advantage at Foxborough Stadium. The goal proved enough to separate the two sides as Morocco controlled large portions of the contest and frustrated Scotland throughout.
Scotland struggled to recover from the early setback, managing little attacking threat despite enjoying vocal support from thousands of travelling fans. Steve Clarke’s side failed to register a shot on target and created few clear-cut opportunities, while Morocco dominated possession and repeatedly looked dangerous on the counterattack. Saibari nearly doubled the lead shortly after halftime when his effort crashed against the crossbar.
The Scots pushed forward in the closing stages and appealed for a penalty after Scott McTominay went down inside the box, but referee Ilgiz Tantashev waved away the claims and play continued without a VAR review. Morocco remained composed defensively and held on to secure a valuable victory.
The result leaves Scotland needing a positive outcome in their final group match against Brazil to keep alive hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in their history. Morocco, meanwhile, moved a step closer to qualification after collecting another important three points.
The victory also produced a statistical milestone, with Morocco completing 601 passes — the highest total recorded by an African nation in a World Cup match since 1966.
