After securing one of the biggest upsets at the World Cup, Morocco will be aiming to confirm their progress to the round of 16 when they face Canada in their final Group F fixture. The Canadians have lost both their fixtures in Qatar and should be no match for a confident Moroccan side.
Canada suffered a 4-1 defeat to Croatia in their previous Group F fixture. They struck first through Alphonso Davies but were no match for the Croats once the 2018 World Cup finalists found their rhythm.
Having also lost to Belgium in their opening fixture, the defeat to Croatia means Canada have crashed out of the World Cup. John Herdman’s men head into their final group outing with only pride to play for as they look to end their campaign on a high.
Canada look to have enjoyed their time at the World Cup but appear to lack the quality required at the elite level. They have been particularly open at the back, conceding five goals in just two matches.
Morocco are coming off one of their biggest wins at the World Cup after beating Belgium 2-0 in their previous fixture. They were the better side throughout the contest and secured the win thanks to second half goals from Romain Saiss and Zakaria Aboukhlal.
The result means Morocco are still unbeaten in the competition having begun their campaign with a 0-0 draw with Croatia. A win in their final group outing will see them through to the round of 16, although a draw might also do it if the result from the other fixture goes their way.
Morocco boast exciting attacking players like Hakim Ziyech but their defence has stood out in Qatar as they are yet to concede a goal after two matches. That defensive solidity did not just begin at the World Cup as Walid Regragui’s men have kept clean sheets in the last six matches across all competitions.
How the bookies view it
Morocco have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 23/20 by Unibet to claim the win. A victory for Canada is valued at 5/2 by Paddy Power while bet365 is offering odds of 12/5 for a draw.
Head to head
There have been only one previous meeting between Morocco and Canada as the North Africans claimed a 4-0 victory in a friendly back in 2016 with Hakim Ziyech netting a brace.
Players to watch
Morocco’s backline has featured prominently lately, keeping clean sheets in their last six matches across all competitions. Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd should continue in central defence and can lead the North Africans to another clean sheet at 7/4 with BoyleSports.
Hakim Ziyech is yet to find the net in Qatar but has been one of the best players for Morocco. The Chelsea forward has come close a few times and having grabbed a brace the last time he faced Canada, he could be tipped to get off the mark at 16/5 with Paddy Power.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given Morocco’s recent defensive record, BTTS NO can be considered at 21/20 by BoyleSports. With the North Africans tipped to keep a clean sheet on Thursday, a win to nil can also be considered 13/5 by Unibet.
Morocco ran out comfortable winners in the last meeting between both teams and could also be backed in the -1 handicap market at 3/1 with William Hill.
This World Cup match between Canada and Morocco will be played on Dec 1, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Canada vs Morocco prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Al Thumama Stadium will host Thursday’s World Cup game between Canada and Morocco, the two teams who meet for the first time at the showpiece tournament. The Canucks have been performing below expectations in Group F, and, as a result, they missed out on a spot in the last 16. Since Canada have nothing to play in the last group game, home win should not be considered.
As always, a man to watch in John Herdman’s team will be Alphonso Davies, who is likely to prove a handful for the opposition back-line. Walid Regragui’s men, on the other hand, proved their worth in a 2-0 win over star-studded Belgium, and they are surely capable of beating the out-of-sorts Canadians in Al Khor. Goalkeeper Bono remains in the recovery room, while there are no fresh injury worries in Walid Regragui’s team.
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